Our Townlands; Our Place

Project
The Our Place, Our Townlands project is funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in association with South West Age Partnership.

The Project consisted of 2 parts. The first part was a talk about Placenames and Townlands, their histories and origins. The second part consisted of 6 workshops with artists Morag Donald and Bee Smith exploring connections to the land, the Townlands and their meanings.

“Invoking the five senses triggers the creative process no matter the medium - writing, music, visual art or drama, In Our Townlands, Our Place a creative writing session was used to evoke memories and images that could later be manifest in the textile artwork.” Bee Smith

SWAP
South West Age Partnership is the network for older people in the Fermanagh Omagh District Council area. They provide support to groups and to individuals in the district. SWAP runs activities and programmes to engage older people, to challenge them to try something new and generally positively influence their lives.

Artists

Morag Donald
Morag Donald is a visual artist and creative workshop facilitator working in Fermanagh, Omagh, Cavan and beyond. She loves working on SWAP projects, soaking up the wisdom and stories from her elders in the community and encouraging them to explore their creativity.

She has been drawn to the tactile nature of fabrics since she was a child. Collage, applique and the interplay of colours and textures, images and words particularly fascinate her. Textiles can hold many layers of meaning, memory and connection. They are her natural medium of self expression and exploration. Inspired by nature and natural materials she creates felted, woven, printed and stitched artworks, often combining these mediums to capture a feeling of our place within the landscape both inner and outer. Being creative is essential to her wellness.

Bee Smith
Bee Smith is a writer, poet and creative writing facilitator active in the border counties and on Zoom. Over the past fifteen years she has worked with all ages -children, adults, all women’s groups, all men’s groups, for writing retreats - in prison, schools, in community halls, even in a bell tent. She has frequently collaborated with Morag Donald on projects which require words and pictures. Having the words, being able to find ways to express thoughts and feelings, is empowering and confidence building for all ages. She is also a local guide for Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark and curated their digital Poetry Map project during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Townlands
Townlands are unique land divisions on the island of Ireland. They can be as small as 100 acres and as big as 300 acres. Generally the smaller the Townland is the better the land is for farming. There are 2883 Townlands within the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area.

The majority of Townland names come from the Irish Language, with some originating in Ulster Scots, English and others which have been named under Viking influence.

Townland names can be influenced by a number of things;
• Geographical structures or environments in the Townland
• The flora or fauna which grow well in the Townland
• Historical events
• Mythological stories of the area

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council support the continued use of Townlands in addresses and this exhibition is part of a programme of work by the Council to raise awareness of Townlands and help the public explore this part of their heritage.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Irish language Officer works with local community groups to explore the rich and often unique local heritage contained in local placenames.
Contact Gaeilge@fermanaghomagh.com for more information.