WHAT IS TÍR SÁILE

Tír Sáile - The North Mayo Sculpture Trail is the largest public arts trail ever undertaken in Ireland. The trail originated in 1993, the year of the Mayo 5000, which was a year-long cultural celebration inspired by the surviving human imprint in earth and stone on the Mayo landscape over fifty centuries.

The original trail entailed the installation of fourteen site specific sculptures along the North Mayo Coast, supplemented by an exhibition site at which the work of artists or temporary exhibitions were accommodated. A number of the original works have since been decommissioned (see History for further details), and currently the trail consists of 11 works. (see sites marked with the Tír Sáile logo on the map.)

The North Mayo Sculpture Trail begins in Killala and follows the coastal route through Ballycastle, Belderrig, Belmullet and down to Blacksod.

North mayo Sculpture trail

Artworks

The ethos behind the Tír Sáile Symposium and Sculpture trail l was formulated on the notion of a ‘Meitheal’, which is a traditional way of working by which groups of people would come together to work towards a common goal. This principle informed all aspects of the development of the project, from the collaboration of artists, the community engagement, to the donation of sites both public and private for the siting of works and the hosting of the artists. The local community involvement and collaboration with the artists was crucial and contributed to the unifying of people and place in an expression of their identity which promoted a deeper understanding of their cultural heritage.

Key to the commissioning was the use of natural materials and environments by the artists, working in harmony with their surrounding. Of course a natural consequence of this (and one which was anticipated) has meant that a number of works have since degraded back into the environment.

‘The interaction of artist with the natural environment by way of imagination and physical endeavour achieved the primary aim of Tír Sáile which is to celecbrate the past, relish the present and embrace the future.’

Find out more about the project in this PDF booklet: Tír Sáile Sculpture Trail Booklet.

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