Tolka Valley inspires museum performance

THE ’People of the Tolka River Valley’ were in fine voice last week for a very special performance at the National Museum of Ireland.

Inspired by local treasures of Dublin 7 and the collections of the museum at Collins Barracks, over 100 voices rang out across Clarke Square. There was also a display of artwork created by communities on either side of the Tolka River.

Most of the songs are new works, based on people’s experiences connecting with their local community and one another. 

Led by musician Susan McKeown, the Forever Young Chorus, from Finglas, performed new works created by Susan and the choir. They were accompanied by the Holy Family School for the Deaf who signed the song in recognition of the official status of the Irish Sign language, declared in December 2017. 

It was an opportunity to hear a song that was written 100 years ago by Susan McKeown’s great grandmother, who was also a composer and lived in the Tolka area at the time of the Rising. 

The Forever Young Chorus also made a special trip to National Museum of Ireland for a talk and tour about a Viking woman’s remains discovered in Finglas in 2004. 

Artworks created by St

?¯Malachy’s School in Finglas and the Deaf Village, Cabra, with the guidance of

?¯artist Claire Halpin, were also on display. St Malachy’s have been investigating Tolka Valley Park and the Tolka River and collaborating remotely with a group from Deaf Village Ireland who have been making artworks of butterflies (one of the only animals thought to be deaf). 

As part of their exploration of the Tolka Valley’s history, St Malachy’s School visited the National Museum of Ireland’s Collection Resource Centre where the students got close up to a range of 19th and 20th Century horse drawn transport vehicles used in North Dublin, including a fire engine, a hearse, a grocer’s van and a laundry van. 

This is just one of the many National Neighbourhood projects happening around the city with community groups, artists and some of best known cultural institutions. Communities involved range from craft groups to walking groups, choirs to colleges, nursing homes to hospitals and scout units to schools.  

The National Neighbourhood is a Dublin City Council cultural programme run by the Dublin’s Culture Connects initiative.