‘To the Letter’ at Macroom Town Hall this August

Cork County Council has announced the opening of the successful ‘To The Letter’ exhibition by Dolores Lyne in Macroom Town Hall at 3pm on Saturday, August 5^th.

Award-winning artist and theatre designer Dolores Lyne has been marking the centenary of her grand-uncle Liam Lynch, Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA, with exhibitions and talks across the county. The exhibition was inspired by a trove of personal letters written by Liam to his brother Tom, the confidant in whom he felt safe writing unique letters that covered the most dramatic and tragic events of his life in the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Announcing the exhibition’s opening in Macroom, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Frank O’Flynn said “I am looking forward to seeing the latest iteration of To The Letter after its successful run in Fermoy earlier this year. The large exhibition space in Macroom Town Hall is the perfect setting for the extensive body of work that Dolores Lyne has created over the course of the project, including paintings, drawings and photography.  The artist’s sensitive approach has created an environment for us to share and commemorate our history.”

Dolores followed the letters back to the locations across County Cork where they were written, visiting the remote and beautiful hill farms and the safe houses that provided sanctuary where Liam was protected and cherished. For this exhibition in Macroom, the artist comes closer in miles and in spirit to the Muscraí Gaeltacht in County Cork. It was here that Liam Lynch made one of his most important HQs. She met the descendants of those who had sheltered him, and they shared their stories with her. 100 years later, the Chief of Staff’s grand-niece Dolores retraces his steps to former safe houses in central Cork and Gaeltacht Mhuscraí.

The exhibition runs from Sunday 6^th to Thursday 31^st August, and in recognition of Heritage Week, Dolores will give at talk at 14:00 on Sunday 13^th August in the Town Hall, providing a background to the exhibition and how precious the letters have become over time.