An exhibition of artwork at the Kilcummin Rural Development Group office opens on Saturday 3pm, showcasing the creative work of children from Coolick, Anabla and Kilcummin Primary Schools.

The show features clay pieces, cyanotypes, poetry and a creative map of Kilcummin bog, all inspired and informed by the children’s visits to their local bog and created in collaboration with Kerry artists Zoe Uí Fhaoláin Green and Emer Fallon.

The exhibition will open with music from local musician Kirill Healy and features voices from the Kilcummin Community sharing their memories and stories of the bog. As part of the event members of the community will be invited to hang their hopes and wishes for the bog’s future on a creative wishing tree.

The exhibition is the last in a series of events taking place as part of the Pride in our Peatlands project, funded by Kerry County Council with a Creative Ireland Grant. Previous events included a guided biodiversity walk and talk on Kilcummin Bog, a creative community session in Kilcummin village with a talk from Thomas Canavan of Tralee Wetlands, and a series of school visits and creative workshops.

Artists Zoe Uí Fhaoláin Green and Emer Fallon are particularly grateful for the support the project has received from the community.

“We really appreciate how the teachers and schools of Kilcummin gave their time and support to facilitating the school visits. The bog is such a special place, and the work that the Rural Development Group does in maintaining and highlighting the walking routes up there is amazing. We hope the project has highlighted how precious Kilcummin Bog is. We know we’ve gained a deeper understanding not only of the vital role our peatlands play in our delicate ecosystem, but also of the depth of the connection between communities and their peatlands,” said a Kilcummin Rural Development spokesperson.