Exhibition Launch with The Liberties Community Project & The Robert Emmet History Group

The Robert Emmet history group in the Liberties community project. The history group has been a long-standing group that has been running for 20+ years. The group has outlasted its previous venues and has changed around from Reinsfort, whitefriar street, to Guinesses, to christchurch, to syng street and has now found its home for the last 10 years in The Robert Emmet CDP now The Liberties Community Project on Ushers Quay.

This collaboration has been more about the process and the bonds made rather than the outcome of physical work. This project deals with issues that are harder to see. Sometimes groups like The Robert Emmet history group can be overlooked due to reasons like gender, age, or location. The members of this group are strong, active voices in their communities, and they don't always get the recognition they deserve. This group also does the work where I believe the government has failed, they build support systems, they keep memory and heritage alive, and offer education and care to anyone that visits their group.

An issue that had been brought up a lot was extraction of knowledge within the group. This group has been a resource for many people ranging from historians, artists, writers and NCAD students. Sometimes people come in, use their knowledge, and do not give anything back or any acknowledgement.

With this project I wanted to flip that dynamic and at the same time build a better relationship between artists and the local community. Instead of extraction, the main aim was to give back, to create something together that belongs to them. Something useful, celebratory of the group, and lasting. The textile squares symbolise their bond, their history, their strength, and advice to future generations. The project isn't just about telling their story but also about addressing the issues faced and showing how vital and inspiring their work really is.

The poems that accompany the work are written by Angela Tolbin, a history group member who keeps the Liberties local history alive. Her work pays tribute to Robert Emmet and Anne Devlin two heroes who gave their lives and honour to the 1803 rebellion within the Liberties. Both heroes ended up dying within the Liberties yet can be often forgotten. Thanks to people like Angela this history is being carried on and kept alive.