The Irish Quilts

The exhibition of Irish quilts took place at eight venues across Derry from 8 March 2008 until 19 April 2008. A total of 26 Irish quilts were on display. The following page provides brief details of the quilts that appeared in the exhibition. 'Click' on the photographs to see a larger version. For a full description of each of the quilts see the Irish Quilts Catalogue, 2008, [PDF; 1178KB]. (Photographs below by Martin Melaugh unless otherwise stated.)

Included among the quilts below are ones which were produced by some of the victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict as a direct response to their personal experience of 'the Troubles'. Some women who were not directly affected by the conflict have, nevertheless, also responded to 'the Troubles' through the medium of quilt-making. The range of expression is wide as is indicated by the quilts.

The combined exhibition of Irish and international quilts and Chilean arpilleras was the result of a collaboration between Derry City Council Heritage and Museum Services and The Junction with guest cruator Roberta Bacic.

HARBOUR MUSEUM

1 Crewel Embroidery, The Quaker Tapestry, Kendal: Northern Ireland: Reconciliation (size 0.54m x 0.64m) (photo Colin Peck)	2 Crewel Embroidery, The Quaker Tapestry, Kendal: Ireland: The Great Hunger 1845-1848 (size 0.54m x 0.64m) (photo Colin Peck)

WORKHOUSE MUSEUM

3 Quilt, Shared City Project, Derry/Londonderry: Pathways of Life (size 1.65m x 1.65m)	4 Patchwork and Embroidery Quilt, Mission Hall Quilters, Derry/Londonderry: Friendship through Quilting (size 2.39m x 2.74m)
5 Embroidered Quilt, Women from Cross Community Groups, Derry/Londonerry: Friendship Quilt (size 1.75m x 1.70m)	18a Embroidered Wall Hanging, Quaker Meeting House, Belfast: Frederick Meeting House Panel 1 (size 0.81m x 0.64m)
18b Embroidered Wall Hanging, Quaker Meeting House, Belfast: Frederick Meeting House Panel 2 (size 0.81m x 0.64m)	7 Wall Hanging, Irene MacWilliam, Belfast: Peace Quilt 2 (size 1.07m x 0.71m)

THE JUNCTION

8 Appliquéd Quilt, Commissioned by the Committee on the Administration of Justice and the Centre for Research and Documentation, Ireland: Women’s Rights are Human Rights: Cearta ban, Cearta daonna (size 3.35m x 2.75m)	9 Patchwork Quilt, Women Together, Belfast: Northern Ireland Peace Quilt (size 1.62m x 1.82m)

VERBAL ARTS CENTRE

10 Patchwork Quilt, Irene MacWilliam, Belfast: Common Loss: 3000+ dead between 1969 and 1994 (size 1.50m x 2.30m)	11 Painted and Patchwork Quilt, Arranmore and Tir Gohaine Women’s Groups, Donegal: Love Across the Waves (size 2.00m x 2.40m)
12 Quilt, Wave Trauma Centre, Belfast: Reflection on Loss—From Darkness to Light (size 1.32m x 2.60m)	13 Quilt, Relatives for Justice, Belfast: Remembering Quilt Panel 3 (size 2.05m x 2.05m) [Photo - Detail]

VOID GALLERY

14 Quilted and Painted Wall Hanging, Deborah J. Stockdale, Glencolmcille: Fern Woman (size 0.60m x 0.51m)	15 Quilted and Painted Wall Hanging, Deborah J. Stockdale, Glencolmcille: Hands of Creation (size 0.74m x 0.57m)
16 Quilt, Mary Good, United States but living in Ireland: Broken Promises (size 1.83m x 1.83m)	17 Quilt, Inner Wheel Club of Londonderry: Majella’s Quilt (size 2.55m x 1.88m)
18 Quilt, Women of Newbuildings, Derry/Londonderry: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future (size 1.88m x 1.40m)	19 Embroidered Wall Hanging, Quaker Meeting House, Belfast: Frederick Meeting House Panel 3 (size 0.81m x 0.42m)
20 Quilt, Relatives for Justice, Belfast: Remembering Quilt Panel 8 (size 2.05m x 2.05m)

THE CHURCH OF IRELAND DIOCESAN CENTRE

21 Patchwork Quilt, Women Together, Belfast: Northern Ireland Reconciliation Quilt (size 2.28m x 1.82m)	22 Wall Hanging, Deborah J. Stockdale, Glencolmcille: Brigit’s Dream (size 1.65m x 1.68m)

THE PLAYHOUSE

23 Quilt, Cathedral Youth Club, Derry/Londonerry: Youth Unites (size 1.30m x 0.70m)	24 Quilt, Tina McLaughlin, Derry/Londonderry: St. Eithne’s Welcoming Quilt (size 1.53m x 2.45m)
25a Quilt, Playhouse Schools’ Community Relations Project, Derry/Londonderry: Stitch in Time (size 1.62m x 1.29m)	25b Quilt, Playhouse Schools’ Community Relations Project, Derry/Londonderry: Stitch in Time (size 1.62m x 1.29m)

THE MUSEUM OF FREE DERRY

26 Fabric Hanging, Irene MacWilliam, Belfast: Events of 1994 (size 2.15m x 1.39m)

See also:
Photographs of details from the above Irish quilts taken by Colin Peck.
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