Creative skills at Roscea Age Friendly

Council grant for unique piece of art

Age Friendly Roscrea received a grant from Tipperary Co Council's Arts Office earlier this year to fund the design and production of a piece of ceramic art for The Courthouse.

The project was facilitated by local ceramic artist, Monica O’Meara, who supported a group of our members to design and make a piece reflecting the history of Roscrea Courthouse and its journey to become the busy community hub that it is today.

The courthouse shows how a vacant or disused property can be revitalised and, in this case, offer the older members of our community a space to meet, find information, learn and socialise. We invite you to visit us to see this inspiring piece of ceramic art. It shows that creativity continues throughout our lives irrespective of age. We would like to sincerely thank Tipperary Council's Arts Office for their support for this project and helping to make Roscrea a great place to grow old in.

The concept behind this ceramic artwork is a celebration of the diverse uses of the recently refurbished Roscrea Courthouse. This completed piece is the result of a collaboration between Age Friendly Roscrea, participants Barbara Murphy, Marie O’ Meara, Mary Reid, Maeve Reidy and PJ Wright and occasional contributors with local artist and facilitator Monica O’ Meara.

Most participants had no prior experience of working with ceramics prior to the project. Yet they approached every aspect with enthusiasm, engaging in research, design and planning from the beginning. Their dedication and eagerness to learn new skills fostered a strong, collaborative spirit, allowing them to deepen their connection to the courthouse while being empowered them through creativity. The valuable additional support and encouragement provided by the staff of Age Friendly Roscrea further enhanced this shared experience. This artwork comprises numerous components that represent the participant’s interpretation of the building’s uses, symbols, features and the services it has housed over the years. Its form is inspired by the Fibonacci spiral, encapsulating the building’s timeline from the original plans by architect Jacob Owen through its era as a bustling centre of justice. As the spiral progresses it records vignettes of its varied uses by many community groups throughout the intervening years.

The final expanding section of the spiral symbolises the organic growth and increasing diversity of services that this revitalised building through Age Friendly Roscrea now provides the local community of older adults along with other community groups.

The spiral’s form and placement suggest ongoing growth of these supports and services beyond the artwork and into the future. Interspersed throughout are representations of the building’s physical features, from external features like window surrounds through to components made using casts from the fireplace in what was once the judges’ chambers as one of the few remaining historical features of the building. The restored courthouse stands not only as a historical landmark but also as a testament to the power of community and the promise of growth.

Let us celebrate this new chapter together. As we celebrate this new chapter we recognise the shared efforts that have brought this project to fruition.

This project was kindly supported by Tipperary County Council under the Arts Act Grant Scheme 2024.