100 Years of Irish Women: A Trilogy of Banners
for Reflections 1925: Women’s Voices in a Changing State
by Áine Phillips the Dún Emer Eastside Collective
The Trilogy of Banners celebrate and remember 100 years of Irish women’s achievements.
Reflections is a programme commemorating the remarkable Irish women of 1923-1925 as part of the Decade of Centenaries supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports, and Media. The Trilogy of Banners are part of this multifaceted project, representing and celebrating Irish women’s histories as a tribute to the women who shaped Irish history during a pivotal era. The programme offers various platforms for public discussions, artist residencies, and creative exploration of historical lives and contributions.
The Banners are acquisitoned by the Galway Museum and will be part of a performance event Reflections 1925: Women’s Voices in a Changing State on the 9th December at Druid Lane Theatre, Galway alongside Comhrá na mBan Centenary Westside Writers Group led by writer Emily Cullen and The Women's Centenary Choir Galway City led by musician and singer-songwriter Tracy Bruen.
Commissioned by Galway City Council, Galway Public Libraries and Galway City Museum.
Reflections is not just a historical tribute, but a creative interpretation of the significant contributions made by women during that era. It stands as a testament to the strength, resilience, and creativity of Irish women in the past and present.
The Dún Emer Eastside Collective is a group of East Galway women who came together under the direction of Áine Phillips in response to the Decade of Centenaries “Reflections” project in 2023 to create a trilogy of feminist memorial banners. The group’s name references the influential crafts studio The Dún Emer Guild founded in 1902 by Evelyn Gleeson and sisters Elizabeth and Lily Yeats whose innovative designs and diverse hand sewn artefacts inspired the contemporary banners created for this project.
The Dún Emer Eastside Collective met for three months in Ballybane Library to design and produce the three double sided banners, in the run-up to the “Reflections” event in St Nicholas Church Galway on 7 December 2023. The members of the group are Áine Phillips, Helen Flynn, Helen Monaghan, Petra Bhreatnach, Rowena Carr, Anita Dillon, Clare Smyth, Demelza Lynn, Lizzy Dargle, Marielle MacLeman and Sona Smedkova.
Internationally known for four decades of performance and video artwork that constantly challenge the patriarchal structures of society… (Michele Horrigan curator of Tulca Festival of Visual Art 2024)
Áine Phillips is an artist based in Galway who has been making installations, art films and performances since the late 80s. She creates live performance, installation and video works for multiple contexts: public space, social events, galleries, theatres, museums, biennales and film festivals. Her work incorporates socially engaged practice and she often works with communities of place and or interest, including many collaborations with Irish and international artists. Curating, writing and teaching are also part of her diverse practice. Her PhD in performance art practice at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin was awarded in 2009 and a critically acclaimed edited volume Performance Art in Ireland: A History was published by Intellect Books/ LADA London in 2015. Her work is collected by the National Museum of Ireland and Galway Museum.
Phillips' practice speaks to themes of women's lived experience, women's autobiographical histories, feminism, community and social justice. For over 35 years she has consistently addressed these topics, especially the histories of incarceration of women in Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes and Industrial schools in Ireland. She sees her varied practice as a form of social art activism.