Borrisokane community spirit in action

On Thursday week last, Borrisokane Craft Group presented framed artwork to Borrisokane Library as a gift to the community.

The ‘Borrisokane Felted Project’ was an initiative by Tipperary ETB’s Community Education section and Borrisokane Craft Group, using donated scrap wool by local weavers, Hanly Wollen Mills, in which the community group wanted to create something for the community that had significance to the area.

As they were keen to continue with the craft of needle felting it was decided to create a series of images depicting social and cultural sights in the town out of felt. In discussion with the local librarian, Noirín Duggan, it was agreed that the library would be a perfect venue to display the work and the group wanted to gift it to them as a piece for permanent display.

The Borrisokane Craft Group was the brainchild of Borrisokane woman Geraldine Duggan, who a number of years ago, worked closely with Tipperary ETBs Community Education section to establish the group. Operating out of TETB’s Borrisokane Further Education and Training (FET) centre in Ballyhaden, the women, who live in both rural and urban parts of the town, are both local and newcomers to the area. Guided by their multi-talented TETB tutor, Olivia O’Donovan, they have tackled new crafts and with that new skills to learn each term.

The group has focused on trying out new things and also sharing skills that they have within their group. Some of the projects that they have taken on are paper making, lino printing, papier mâché, book binding, felting and clay. There has also been an emphasis on sustainability with the crafts that they are doing, as evidenced with the repurposed wool used for the most recent project. The group has also spread their wings in recent times with trips to regional sites of significance to them and their art/craft work. In their spring-summer term last year, the group went on a trip to have a guided tour of Birr Castle and were able to view the arts and crafts within the building. They followed this up last autumn with a trip to visit the Hunt Museum in Limerick to view the collection there. The women are always keen to explore and learn about the arts and crafts that are in their local area and support and engage with the historical and educational learning opportunities available to them. The group have developed great skills over the past number of years and hope that this Borrisokane felting display will be a first of many group projects that benefit their community.

There are currently nine images displayed in three frames in Borrisokane Library as a result of this fantastic local project. Tipperary ETB would like to congratulate the members of Borrisokane Craft Group and thank Noirín in Borrisokane Library for her collaboration, and our wonderful arts and crafts tutor Olivia for her amazing work on this project.