Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - News - Celebrating the Launch of the Rathcoole Projects

16 March 2011

15 March 2011 Yesterday the Minister for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Nelson McCausland, met with the local community at Rathcoole Primary School to celebrate the opening of two exciting projects; the Rathcoole Past and Present Exhibition and the launch of two newly re-imaged murals in the area.

The Intergenerational Exhibition Project was funded through the European Union’s Peace III; Cultural Awareness and Relationship Building Programme. This project involved story telling from the Rathcoole Creative Memories Group on the life and times of Rathcoole Past and Present to students from Newtownabbey Community High School, Rathcoole Primary School, Whitehouse Primary School, Abbots Cross Primary School and Kings Park Primary School.

A DVD was produced by the groups depicting the relationships development between everyone involced. The final result was an excellent exhibition of Rathcoole Past and Present with a contemporary twist.

New artwork reflecting the identity and aspirations of the community in Rathcoole was also unveiled at the launch, as part of a land mark re-imaging project for the area. Rathcoole Somme Society working in partnership with the Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has successfully delivered the project.

Replacing two paramilitary murals with two new pieces of art, this project has been welcomed by the community, enabling them to feel a sense of pride and community spirit.. The Re-imaging Programme is funded by the Shared Communities Consortium, lead by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and comprising OFMDFM, DSD, DCAL, The Community Relations Council, The PSNI, SOLACE (Society of Local Authority and Chief Executives), The Department of Justice, The International Fund for Ireland and the NI Housing Executive.

The Project has involved pupils from Newtownabbey Community High School, Breakaway Blues older people’s group, members of Rathcoole Somme Society and local residents working with artist David Craig in designing and creating two pieces of vibrant mural art with an overall emphasis on remembering the past in the local community. Students from Newtownabbey Community High School studying World War I worked together with the local community to design two murals remembering this period in history. One mural depicts young men in uniform leaving Belfast on their way to the trenches and battlefields in France and Flanders. The other depicts a ‘Canary Girl’ ready to go to work in a munitions factory. Students learned that the ‘Canary Girls’ were trinitrotulene (TNT) shell makers. The nickname arose because TNT can turn the skin orange-yellow, similar to the plumage of a canary and caused other more serious health problems.

Commenting on the project Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Chair of the Shared Communities Consortium, said:

“The Re-imaging communities programme is committed to building a shared future for Northern Ireland that is founded on partnership, equality and mutual respect.

“The completion of this artwork in Rathcoole is the result of the community’s joint efforts. Working together with local artist, David Craig, they have created a new public artwork which has enriched the environment and provided an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to work together towards one common objective.”

Minister Nelson McCausland speaking at the launch said:

“Seeing the images which have been developed here in Rathcoole and listening to the stories of everyone involved; it is both clear and encouraging that both projects represent strong partnership working amongst many different groups including local residents, community groups, local schools and statutory organisations.”

The Rathcoole Past and Present Exhibition is funded through the European Union’s PEACE III Programme and Newtownabbey Borough Council. The mural projects were funded through the Arts Council Re-imaging Communities Programme and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive with support from Newtownabbey Borough Council.