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The Tara landscape captured in a stained glass window
The children from 5th class in Skryne National School at the offices of the Heritage Council in Kilkenny on Tuesday 22nd November last accompanied by their teacher Kieran Fanning Loreto Guinan, Heritage Officer, Meath County Council, Liam McCorkell of Glasshaus Studio, Ian Doyle of the Heritage Council, and School Principal Martin Kennedy.
A magnificent stained glass window celebrating the culture, heritage and amenity of Tara and its surrounding landscape has been on display at the Heritage Council offices in Kilkenny.
On November 22nd the fifth class pupils and teachers of Skyrne National School, Co. Meath who designed the window came to Kilkenny to tell their stories about the project.
The project brought together Skryne National School, Glasshaus Studio, and Meath County Council to design a stained glass window based on the theme of My Landscape - People & Places.
Local stained glass specialist, Liam McCorkell and the staff at Glasshaus Studio, Navan worked alongside the 5th class pupils of Skryne National School and their teacher Kieran Fanning and Principal Martin Kennedy. Through a series of design workshops each pupil discussed the Tara landscape and designed a motif or image which captured what it means to them. Glasshaus Studio worked with the pupils to create a stained glass window based on the concepts, ideas and designs created by the children. Images of monuments and megalithic art, as seen through the eyes of children, sit beside ice-cream, hot chocolate, swings and magic trees with fairies.
“It was decided that the images in the window would be connected in a format relevant to the Tara landscape and an aerial photograph was used to complement the overall theme; as Tara is most often shown from the air.” explained stained glass artist Liam McCorkell.
Conor Newman, Chair of the Heritage Council, which provided funding for the project, praised the innovation of the students, teachers and artists involved and asked permission ‘to use this window as a teaching aid in the National University of Ireland in Galway to explain Tara and to show how we see heritage in such a personalised way’
The window will be exhibited at in Co Meath before it is permanently installed at the main entrance to St. Colmcille’s School, Skryne in 2012. This project was supported by Meath County Council, the Heritage Council and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Meath County Councillors Eoin Holmes (Cathaoirleach) and Jim Holloway were also in attendance.