Inspiring the youth through art
The community of St Martin's Estate and John Paul Avenue gathered to mark the official opening of the Community Fairy Garden and wall mural last Friday. The honour of cutting the ribbon to mark the opening did not fall to a celebrity or politician, but to one of the young people who, through their artistic exploits, have brought a burst of colour to the area.
The project was a co-operative venture between Tullacmongan Resource Centre and the Cavan 365 Youth Diversion Project run under the auspices of Foróige. The community-based initiative engaged young people from the area to channel their creative talents to create a beautiful and lasting presence in the community.
The ribbon cutting was preceded by a dedication from another of the young workers responsible who said: “This garden is full of hope and happiness. We have put a lot of hard work into the design of our garden and our wall mural. This mural has a lot of meaning behind it. We hope you like it and everyone is welcome to come, sit and enjoy it.”
The project was part of the Families First Summer Camp in Tullacmongan. The group, who gathered for the opening, got a walk through of the meaning of the different panels on the mural. Overseen by artist Colette Kearney, the young participants drew on their life experiences from their love of sports to coping with loss for inspiration.
The artist, Colette Kearney, commended the young people who took part in the creative endeavour: “The [Foroige] girls spoke to them about the idea of doing a mural. They made sketches of what they thought would be nice for the wall. I took those ideas and put them together.
“They were amazing,” Collette said, “apart from the weather. We had such bad luck with the rain! But their enthusiasm was impressive. Their ability to paint was fantastic. They tore into it, they loved it.”
Cllr Patricia Walsh (FF) said the project was in train for quite a while. “It was funded thought the TIP (Tullacmongan Impacting Peace) Programme. We in the Resource Rentre looked for that funding two years ago,” she said.
“We have to says a special thanks to the couple whose house is behind the wall. They gave permission for it to be painted for the community,” Cllr Walsh said. “It is a great community involvement. It's great for the young people and shows the work that the girls from Foróige are doing in the community. They are good at their work.”
As well as the vibrant wall painting, the area is enhanced with a Fairy Garden and a bench for passers by to sit and enjoy the view. The new motto on the wall reinforces a positive messages for the young people “remember to be kind, be happy and be safe”, and the gathering were told that the centre piece rainbow represents hope: “Always remember to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud,” the young lady told those in attendance as she explained the meaning behind the images.