As Bealtaine 2025 draws to a close, we wanted to share one more lovely Arts for Health project that makes up part of our exhibition this year.
On Country Roads is a stories and sound project created by residents at Dunmanway Community Hospital with musician Étáin Collins. Spanning 12 weeks, the project aimed to celebrate all the different types of love we encounter in our lives. Prompted by anecdotes or poetry excerpts, the group discussed family, friendships, marriage, dances, pets, farming, card games, the circus, and life in Dunmanway!
After a few weeks, the group decided to introduce a musical element to their work. Together they chatted about what a piece of music inspired by their stories would sound like. They also discussed what instruments could be used to create that sound. Each participant individually recorded their own section of music. Étáin then brought these together to form one collective piece.
The project resulted in a small book of stories with a QR code leading to the group piece of music. The residents decided on the name On Country Roads to represent the places the stories came from.
Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre’s Bealtaine Exhibition is on display until Saturday 31 May. Call in before it’s over for another year!
