One of the advantages of the Irish Rep’s makeover is the addition of a reception room that doubles as an exhibition space. Geraldine O’Sullivan’s “16 Letters,” a series of lifescape collages based on letters written between 1915 and 1916, is the space’s debut art exhibition, and runs through June 26. The accompanying booklet details the artist’s process, which began with sifting through 2,000 letters at Maynooth University. The final 16 include Thomas MacDongh’s poignant last letter to his wife and a letter written Brigadier W.H.M. Lowe, commander of British Army Forces in Dublin during the Rising, on behalf of Elizabeth O’Farrell. A nurse and a member of Cumann na mBan, O’Farrell delivered notice of the surrender to Lowe on April 29 and accompanied Pearse to the surrender the following day. Subsequently, O’Farrell was airbrushed from the photo of the surrender – only her shoes remain. Grateful for her assistance Lowe assured O’Farrell she would be released. After the surrender she was stripped and searched and imprisoned overnight in Ship St. Barracks without his knowledge. Hearing of this, he had her released, apologized and, gave her the letter permitting her freedom of movement. ♦
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For more information, visit geraldineosullivan.com.
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