The Hunt Museum

Object of the Month - October 2015

The Hunt Museum is Buzzing

This summer the Hunt Museum welcomed a hive-full of Honey Bees to our newly named wildflower garden 'The Bee-Loud Glade'.

As part of Culture Night 2015 we enlisted the help of some local school children from the JFK primary school in Limerick city to assist in raising awareness of the importance of Honey Bees in the local environment.

We had a great day. The children were greeted by our very own bee keeper Ger (pictured below) who was dressed in his bee suit, ready for action. This immediately got the kids interested in hearing all about the workings of the bee-hive. Ger had some great bee-keeping equipment to pass around and gave everyone the opportunity to get hands on. The kids also learned about honey bee health, honey production and how to care for the bee-hive. This presentation was followed by some really great questions and bee related discussion. After this the children were introduced (from a safe distance of course) to the Hunt Museums own busy working bee-hive!

After all this excitement we held a craft workshop where the children were inspired to make their own fabulous Honey Bees. We planted these in the 'The Bee-Loud Glade' wildflower garden to create a bit of a buzz on Culture Night.

The idea of the children’s honey bee workshop was to educate and raise awareness of local and urban bee-keeping. Everyone can help create a good environment for bees in their own locality and the Hunt Museum workshop helped children to understand the importance of bees.

So come along and see our ‘Bee-Loud Glade’ garden buzzing with honey bees and maybe if you’re lucky you can have a chat with a bee keeper!

Special thanks to Ger McCoy, all the students from JFK primary school, their teachers, acting curator Fiona Byrne, and volunteers Mairéad, Hannah and Alex who also helped the children put this together.

Object of the Month - September

September 2015, Romanesque enthroned Madonna

Lunchtime Lecture by Prof. Brendan Kelly: Shell Shock. 

As part of our series of lectures during Heritage Week and to compliment the current temporary exhibition Father Browne First World War photographs, Professor Brendan Kelly gave a talk on Shell Shock.Shell Shock was a term firstly coined by Major CS Myers to refer to the mental injuries suffered by soldiers as a result of War experiences. 

World War 1: Lunch Lecture and Poetry Reading

Craft Night in the Hunt Museum was on Thursday 6th of August were participants enjoyed talks and demonstrations in ceramics, textiles and feltmaking! The workshops that were given were aimed for a wide age range of ages and touched on three of the crafts that are exhibited in the Craft Hub.

There was a ceramic demonstration with Mary Conroy and a slideshow showing the links between Hunt Museum Ceramics Collection and Craft Hub artists. Mary Conroy showed guests the process of how small circular pots were made. Each stage of the processes was laid out and examples were shown of the different stages of making the little pots; from the liquid slip and casting of the pots, to finally waterproof of the small pot. Mary’s demonstration kept all participants enthralled. Daiva's Textiles demonstrated free-hand embroidery on hand painted or dyed linen. Daiva's Textiles finished pieces could be used for different purposes, as applications for selected clothing, homeware accessories or wall hangings. She talked about the value she found in hand stitching her pieces and showed participants some of the screen-printed designs that she sometimes incorporates as a layered element into her pieces. At the end of her demonstration, Daiva gave some of her screen-printed appliques pieces to the participants. Feltmaking demonstration with Kate Ramsey wrapped up the demonstrations for the night. Participants moved to the Hunt Museum’s education wing to get their hands dirty (or rather clean, as it turns out this process uses lots of soap!). By the end of the demonstration all that participated had their very own simple felted key chains. Following the actual making demonstration a video was shown on how the more colourful dyed felt is made. Overall it was a very interactive demonstration that was a great wrap up to the evening. About Limerick Craft Hub

9th of July: Lunchtime Lecture. Review on Poetry Readings.

Noreen Mortell and Arthur Watson

Our last event in the series of Poetry Readings from the Limerick Writers’ group was introduced by a traditional song on the harp. Noreen was the first to introduce her poems. Currently living in Limerick, she has a huge interest in the arts and works as a music teacher. Arthur is a professional artist currently living in Co. Clare. His poems reflected on his past experiences, including growing up in Belfast.

Noreen wrote about everyday experiences as well as some relevant moments in her life. She told us about the moments spent with her mother, times of difficulties and times of joy and explained the story of how she could meet up with Brendan Kennelly. In her poems, she also wondered on creativity and the meaning of life. Furthermore, we knew from her last poem how she felt before going to bed the night before our lecture, when she enjoyed the view of a shiny full moon.

Arthur’s poems were written in a more orthodox style of rhythm. On the background of his poems chosen for this occasion, one could see the inspiration of relationships and love. Love as happens in a romantic way between a man and a woman, as well as love in the family and self-love when realising a person’s individuality. A special place in his poems was kept for deception and upset from human relations. In addition, the poem “you look so good” both echoed his own experience of love and his thoughts on how looks and appearances influence our loving experiences. The tone of the poems chosen for the occasion was ironic, something that matched his mood since he just went from wearing Hawaiian t-shirts in the south of Europe to a particularly cold Limerick’s summer. Some of his other poems speculated on turning anger into positive activity.

Closing the event, an arrangement of a 17th century composition was beautifully performed.

By Alex Cenarro, Intern at The Hunt Museum.

Lleida, Spain.

Object of the month August 2015 - ‘Breton Woman’ by Roderic O’Conor

Beth Dennehy and Caleb Brennan

The third event of our series on poetry reminded, in Pablo Neruda’s words about the need to share poetry, akin to the need to share bread. Like the previous occasions, this event was accompanied with introductory and closing music performances.

Both featured poets settled in Limerick and presented their thoughts on their experiences of places they visited in the past. Caleb was the youngest ever poet included in Limerick’s 2014 Cuisle International Poetry Festival. Despite his youth, he has developed a unique poetic style and is actively involved in different events. Beth is a regular reader at the White House Poetry Nights and has been published in the Revival Literary Journal.

Beth was the first to read her work. She wrote her poems in a delicate style, all as a sort of descriptive ode to her favourite places and memories. Her experience of nature and the surrounding atmosphere of those natural spaces was an essential part of her poetry. She also wrote about her encounter with Desmond O’Grady, a remarkable scholar from Limerick, who actually read one of her poems!

Caleb wrote about his encounters with love, communication in modern day society and emigration. His poems had a marked melancholic tone, where memory played a very important role. He sometimes wondered about the origin of poetry and described his travels to alien and unfamiliar places.

By Alex Cenarro, Intern at The Hunt Museum.

Lleida, Spain.

16th of July: Lunch Time Lecture. Review on Poetry Readings.

David Brennan and Imelda Maguire from Limerick Writers Centre.

This second event of our readings on poetry was opened with the performance of a concerto for violin and waved, at the end, with another violin performance.

Imelda was the first to read her poems. Originally from Kildare, her background is in psychology and creative writing and published a collection of writings in 2014.  Imelda’s poems were inspired by some very particular experiences, everyday activities and nature. She wrote about a gift of apples, travels and the unavoidable feeling of emptiness every life evokes. This theme is directly connected to her feelings of loss. On occasions she writes through the voice of a Chinese man. Additionally, she versed about her experience of chemotherapy. Her short poems were classic and clear in composition but they also granted some freedom in form. Her three-part composition read like a painted triptych and was remarkably interesting.

David’s style was far from classic. He used an eclectic method in form and subject. Although he recognises himself as a prose writer, his poems were full of rhythm. Moreover, his particular style of reading made his writings more effective. His topics were mostly based on his individual experiences. Some of those poems were inspired by the sight of a homeless man in Japan as well as feelings of loss and discovery and its relationship to freedom and opinion. A special position was kept for his last poem on alcoholism, deliberately shocking and ill-mannered.

By Alex Cenarro, Intern at The Hunt Museum.

Lleida, Spain.Hunt

Lunchtime Lecture

Stephen Kelly

Barrack Life in Limerick 1913-1919

Stephen Kelly is a member of the Irish Defence Forces for over 31 years. He served in Limerick from 1992-2013 and was a founding member of the Military Museum in Sarsfield Barracks. Stephen is also the co-author of two books; Images of Sarsfield Barracks, and The FCA Remembered, and has a particular interest in the History of the New Barracks/ Sarsfield Barracks which he has given many talks on in the past to visiting groups. The Hunt Museum had the pleasure of welcoming Stephen Kelly to present a Lunchtime Lecture to coincide with the current exhibition on display, Father Browne’s First World War, which runs from 9th July to 20th September.

Stephen introduced the talk to the large audience that attended and choosing to focus his presentation on a short period of time from 1913-1919, to complement our temporary exhibition of World War 1 photographs. He went through a lot of detail to give a good insight into what life was like in the Barracks at that time. His presentation was very visual and he showed the audience a number of photographs and maps so we could gain a better understanding of how things have changed over time. There were four different Barracks located around Limerick city, Castle, Artillery, The Strand and Sarsfield Barracks and Stephen spoke a about each of these with photographs to assist along the way.

Stephens’ presentation also covered some of the Regiments who spent time at the Limerick Barracks, some of which included York and Lancaster, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Leinster, Royal Linconshire and the Scots Horse Regiment among many others. We were given an insight into the daily routine of the soldiers as well as the type of people who enlisted and their reasons why. Stephen then went on to speak about Limericks involvement in the Easter Rising and life in the Barracks in the years afterwards.

Stephen spoke with such passion on the topic and gave a great presentation which sparked interest in a lot of people who were eager to learn more from Stephen and had a lot of questions for him at the end of the talk. This Lecture was the first of a series that will run in conjunction with the Father Browne’s First World War exhibition and below you can find details of our future lectures. All are welcome to attend and admission is free.

 One could not paint the smell

WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST 2015 13:00 - 14:00

Dr Niamh A. O'Sullivan will lead this Lunchtime Lecture ''One could not paint the smell" which looks at how the front was portrayed in the First World War and in its immediate aftermath. In examining the narratives and variety of approaches used by war artists to convey life and death on the frontline, it also considers the authorities efforts to control artistic output for censorship and propaganda purposes.

Shell-Shock

FRIDAY 28TH AUGUST 2015 13:00 - 14:00

Prof. Kelly is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and a Consultant Psychiatrist. His lecture will examine Irish soldier’s experiences of Shell-Shock and the ground-breaking treatments they received at Dublin's Richmond War Hospital. Father Browne, himself wounded and number of times, would have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects Shell-Shock had on soldier’s lives.

 WW1 Images and Memory

FRIDAY 04TH SEPTEMBER 2015 13:00 - 14:00

9th of July: Lunch Time Lecture. Review on Poetry Readings.

Yvonne Ahern & Mike Roycroft from Limerick Writers Centre.

This talk was the first event of a series of readings on poetry at The Hunt Museum for our Lunch Time Lecture.

Both poets had very personal styles and they both offered a share of their thoughts and knowledge by means of their writings. Although both poets presented different styles of writing, both wrote about their experiences and life in Limerick. Yvonne, with a more abstract, dainty and impressionistic style introduced us to her particular experiences and way of sensing the world. Yet, her delicate style was not extent of clear judgment on social situations and her poems where on occasions led by her aim of criticism. Mike, on the other hand, introduced a more solid, figurative and rhythmic style of poetry. His style of composition made his poems to be both very rhythmic in form and full of social content.

Yvonne was the first to present her work. She wrote about her childhood experiences, her own method of poetry and what she called her ‘Subject Matter’: the feeling of writing the first words on blank paper. Other poems treated justice, censorship, freedom and the act of writing about experiences itself.

Mike, wrote about his childhood experiences, as well. The sightseeing of Limerick, his experience working in a hospital while a plane accident in Shannon during the 60’s, the effect of media and news around the world, with the case of Sadam Hussein in particular; and even a story of the visit of the Soviet Union’s leader Stalin to London. Moreover, he wrote on love and his experience as a docent at this museum. How he met different people from all over the world, from different cultures and how he improved his world’s knowledge by being in this small spot; The Hunt Museum at the heart of Limerick.

All that, accompanied with the introductory guitar concerto to introduce and wave our speakers.

By Alex Cenarro, Intern at The Hunt Museum.

Lleida, Spain.

Get Hands On is an exciting interactive new program here at the Hunt Museum for the summer. Each week we have a new theme; Combat, Personal Care, Curiosities, and Bronze age. Authentic items from the collection as well as  a new of replica items are brought out for people to participate in handling sessions. There is a always something from the collection on the table so everyone has a chance to hold a piece of history. You can learn about the artifacts from our trained interns. We welcome all questions and will do our best to answer!   Feel free to bring the whole family there is something for everyone from tots to grandparents. You can take pictures and feel free to tweet with the #GetHandsOn. We hope that you join us for this fun and exciting opportunity this summer.

Get Hands on is on the top floor of the museum and is free with admission.

What’s on each week

Combat: 6-10 July and 27-31 July  This week includes highlights about weapons and armor from the middle ages. There are replica swords, chain-mail, as well as, real mace heads. This weeks theme is good for all ages.

Curiosities: 13-17 July and 10-14 July  This week has some very interesting objects. Curiosities is made up of an assortment of objects which are shrouded in mystery. This week is good for all those with a creative imagination.

Personal Care: 20-24 July and 17-21 August  Going back in time not everyone had a shower that they could hop into if they thought they were starting to smell! The objects for this week focus on different ways people from the past cleaned, dressed and even went to the loo. Objects include a walrus ivory hair parter, a crystal perfume container, and much more.

Object of the month July 2015 - The Berlin Ironwork Tiara

Tom Climent - Artists’ conversation at the Hunt Museum

By Fiona Byrne

@TomCliment

Object of the month June 2015 - Antique Busts, Terence Gravett