This time a site visit to Barnavave, just above Carlingford, where I’ve been invited by artist Suzanne Carroll to participate in a site specific exhibition on the mountain side among the remains of a deserted village, abandoned for almost a century at this point.
Some hard facts – and thank you Suzanne for doing the research leg work on this- Barnavave – Bearna Meidhbhe – Maeve’s Gap named in tribute to Queen Meabh of Connacht who passed through here in her pursuit of the Brown Bull of Cooley – as detailed in the Tain Bo Cuailnge.
Barnavave Summit is composed of dark coarse-grained gabbro rock, dated to 61.5 million years ago
The village: deserted since the 1930’s According to Griffiths Valuation 1858 Occupants included Edward Maguire, 2 acres Bernard Flynn 1/4 acre Patrick Donnelly 1/4 acre All plots were freehold, no landlord
The signs of a wicker chimney breast and high threshold stones in the Maguire house suggest it was built centuries earlier.
There is a Medieval sweat house, possibly originally Bronze Age
The Giants Grave – Neolithic passage grave
I will be making some work in response to the site. Initial impressions and evocations:
Thorn Fairy thorn Blackened thorn Gorse wyn bush Copper ferric Bronze amulets talisman- hidden in rocks
Burnt bone blackened wood potato flour Tunnels undergrowth in bushes Rabbit runs Mossy paths- soft turf Clearing space : cutting brambles burning bushes
Farming – land animal -inter generational
Village- people – clinging to the mountain as long as possible
Tain Bo Cuailnge – the hunt, the chase, the running battle the running battle of life in a harsh environment, keeping the spark going, relentless, breathless, hounds in pursuit, breathe in breathe out inhale exhale
Breath work – burnt bone blackened wood held together with potato glue stencils, bone, ground charcoal, potato starch
