No.33 WELCOME
Location: St. Colmcille’s Well, Oldcastle Road.
Artists; Alan Clarke, Mark Smith and Climberhall.
Wrought Iron Arch Overthrow using lettering only found in the Book of Durrow & The Book of Kells. It’s aim is to enhance and welcome visitors to explore one of our hidden heritage gems, The Well Lane that leads us to explore the way down to Saint Colmcille’s Well.
No.32 TRADITIONAL RAG TREE
Location: Our Lady of Mercy, Jim Brunnock Way, Navan Road.
Artists; 2nd class of Our Lady of Mercy Junior School.
Highlighting the multi ethnicity of our modern day students.
No.31 TINY INFINITY
Location: Skelly’s House, Bective Street.
Artist: Deaglan Cambell.
When reflecting on this years word I found myself thinking about the relationship between two people before they ‘connect’. An undefined limbo, not knowing… utilising the lyrics from John Mayer’s “Edge of Desire” I tried to visualise this seemly endless loop of do they/don’t they, “tell me where is that taking me? Just a great figure eight, or a tiny infinity?”
No.30 BERNIE MC CORMICK THE TRAVELING CARNIVAL
Location: Skelly’s Shop, Bective Street.
Artist: Mack Signs.
This piece is a tribute to Cormac’s Grandfather Bernie McCormick. Bernie was born on the road in 1924 into a showman’s travelling carnival. Throughout his life he connected people and communities with the carnival. This piece symbolises the connection Cormac had with his grandfather and all that he taught him and his cousins while growing up as children. The work is designed in the Fairground art style that would have been so synonymous with traveling carnivals of the 19th & 20th century. The piece was hand painted by the team at Mack Signs.
No.29 SAINTS AND SCHOLARS
Location: Kelly’s Vets, Farrell Street.
Artists; Welsh art students from St. Ciaran’s Community school in Kells, Co. Meath and St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, Flint, North Wales.
Connected as visual pen pals, swapping photos of each other and creating portraits that they are only seeing the results of at the TypeTrail launch! Making new connections between two Celtic nations, two lands renowned for their saints and scholars collaborating together creatively.
No.28 MOTHERHOOD
Location: Crosby’s Shop Window, Farrell Street.
Artist: Ken Browne.
This piece represents in words, a Mother’s protection, from the outside world.
No.27 THINK IT! CREATE IT! SHARE IT!
Location: Crosby’s Shop Window, Farrell Street.
Artists; Bailieborough Creative Hub.
A collaboration by Bailieborough Creative Hub celebrating the Hubsters individual creative expression.
No.26 DRINK, DRANK, DRUNK
Location: Mulberry on Main, Farrell Street.
Artist: Meagan McDermot.
A pint, a chat, messing, slagging, bitta music, bitta craic, few crisps, a whiskey? Gwan! And home to bed. From friendships forged over a pint to fallings out over too many of the same, the local pub is the fulcrum of the rural Irish social scene.
No.25 END OF YEAR SCHOOL PHOTO
Location: Lappins, Farrell Street.
Artists; Mark Smith, Niamh Sheridan and Leo Mulligan.
The traditional end of year school photo with the pupils of Saint Colmcilles Senior School has captured the students entering second level education in 3rd class and their progress to when they’re about to start their next chapter in education after 6th class, spanning from 2012-2023.
No.24 CONNECT-COLLAGES
Location: Sean McCarty’s Shop, Farrell Street.
Artist: David Newton.
The Connect-Collages art installation explores the interesting medium of collage. When different things are brought together (with glue, paint and/or by fire), new forms and meanings are discovered.
No.23 "WILL YOU NEVER REMEMBER ME?"
Location: Dunnes, Cross Street.
Artist: Luke Fallon.
A selection of photographs documenting graffiti found carved into the walls of Dublin. These messages speak directly to us from the past and connect us to those who have gone before.
No.22 LETTER TO SELF
Location: the Town Hall, Navan Road.
Artist: Andre Kirwan Foyer.
The topic of interest which I have chosen is body image and the struggles one can go through to achieve body satisfaction. The deep fascination with beauty and perfection permeates cultures all around the world. All ages, genders and ethnicities are consumed by the indulgence to feel and appear attractive. People tend to see themselves differently compared to how they may see other people, including myself. I wanted to understand how people may gain an appreciation for their own appearance by diving into my own past and realize my own journey that I had to go through to gain the confidence I have today.
No.21 "GRA"
Location: The Sisters of Mercy School, Kenlis Street.
Artist: Karen Cotter. Amharic - Ethiopian word for “family”. This piece is about two families connected through adoption.
Our family is connected by two countries, Ireland and Ethiopia. I used as a source the fabric of a shawl with the Ethiopian flag. This shawl I bought on our first return trip to Ethiopia, since we adopted our son. I also used the fabric of another shawl which was gifted to our son by Kahsay, on our most recent visit to Ethiopia. This shawl represents Kahsay, who made our connection possible between our Irish and Ethiopian family.
No.20 MIDE AR AIS ARIS
Location: Headfort Place.
Artists; Cuige, Andre Cullen & Rachel Coyne.
Three Wise Men, Nuns. The roots of the trees that once grew between the great Hill of Uisneach and the Hill of Tara still connect the people, places and life of modern day Westmeath and Meath. The split that occurred centuries ago has deepened over the years, but the connection between the two hills still remains strong, and we hope that through our project will raise awareness of this centuries old connection, ignite the spirit of MIDE connecting its people once again.
No.19 AMPERSAND '&'
Location: the railings of The Sisters of Mercey, Kenlis Place.
Artist: Tara Cullen.
The ampersand consists of two letters joined together, the connection of the letters e and t of the Latin word ‘et’, meaning “and”.
No.18 HYBRISTOPHILLA
Location: the Butchers, John Street.
Artists; Louise Mullen and Phoebe Reddy.
Serial killers are some of the most notorious criminals in history. They are often seen as the embodiment of evil and have been the subject of numerous books, movies, and television shows and podcasts. But what is it about these individuals that make them so fascinating?
No.17 A MOTHERS LOVE
Location: the Butchers Shop Window, John Street.
Artists; Trim Family Resource Centre’s Women’s Development Group and Mark Smith.
Trim Family Resource Centre’s Women’s Development Group (2022/2023) discovered that they all have so much in common but one thing that connects them all is their love for their children. Their pride and love for each and every child shone through and it was during their workshops that Stephen Francis Smith’s name was shouted louder and his legacy was further shared with the world. A mother’s love knows no bounds.
No.16 ARE U LISTENING?
Location: the Lampshade Shop, John Street.
Artists; Wheatfield Prison Art Students and Mark Smith.
The “U” came from “Are you listening…”. This is a saying that the prisoners shout out the side of their cell window to catch their neighbours attention.
No.15 OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES {comes truth & wisdom}
Location: Vincent De Paul, Mauldlin Street.
It’s always encouraging to get the children’s reaction to the themed word for the TypeTrail. They always express themselves more freely and always surprise us.
No.14 I'M CONNECTED. ARE YOU?
Location: The Library, Mauldlin Street.
Artist: Aziza Rezaie.
This is word for music in my beautiful ancient language, Dari. Music connects. Music brings us back home to ourselves and music brings us out into the world to be connected with other people, other places and other experiences. Music connects to me to my home place and brings me back home to my emotional world. Music sometimes makes a bridge for me to my new home. In my picture music connects my dancer to Life/ Zindagi.
No.13 'DIS-CONNECT'
Location: Motorbike Shop, Mauldlin Street.
Artist: Leo Mulligan.
In the past advertisers, governments and media organisations relied on newspapers and print media to connect with their target audience. ‘Dis-connect’ explores how A.I. algorithms are increasingly used to connect with selectively targeted audiences. In this piece an A.I. generated algorithm for connecting people on a social network is screen-printed over old newspapers with the command to CONNECT. While the overall command takes precedence, the algorithm is hiding in plain sight and the old printed media is lost in the confusion.
No.12 BREW OF CHOICE
Location: Impressed Studios, Castle Street.
Artist: Brian Currans.
Over time humanity always ‘connected’ over feast or beverage. Now coffee is the brew of choice.
No.11 COME IN, MAKE YOURSELF SMALL
Location: Shamrock Press, Cross Street.
Artist: Tanya Cullen.
This project is about connecting the feelings of single women looking at the past leading up-to today. Some things have changed for the better for single women however there’s still a lot to do. The project touches on things like the housing crisis and how single women are being pushed into tiny apartments.
No.10 ‘9’ BOOKMARKET CAFÉ
Location: Market Street.
Artists; Lizaveta Zhyrankova and Dainelle Callaghan.
A combination of the connection with cats and the afterlife. By combining these two seemingly disparate concepts it creates a unique and meaningful project. The Perspex material used in the installation is also significant, as it provides a translucent quality that allows light to pass through and illuminate the letters and the story they represent. This creates a sense of otherworldliness, further emphasizing the connection between cats and the afterlife. My partner and I created an alphabet inspired by the story we wrote about a cat’s nine lives. In this story a cat lives through nine different lives with 9 different emotions and beliefs.
No.9 CELTIC BRANCHES
Location: Kierans Pub, Market Street.
Artist: Caitriona Moore.
Examples of the ancient written language of Ogham can only be found carved into the stones of landscapes of Ireland and Wales, and understanding the alphabet involves connecting the meaning of each symbol to Celtic mythology and a species of tree. I selected a story from the Mabinogion, the ancient stories of Welsh myths and legends that are intertwined with Irish myths and often feature similar characters who go back and forth across the Irish sea. King Bran is the main character in this tale, and he is symbolised in the Ogham alphabet through the third letter, which is the Alder tree.
No.8 CONNECT THROUGH LETTERPRESS
Location: Jimmy’s Dry Cleaners, Church Street.
Artist: Ryan Kough.
To truly connect is a powerful and, in some cases a life-altering experience. The production of letterpress prints has connected me to many different communities across many disciplines around the world. The meaning behind this print is the connection I have to letterpress artists around the world. It was created with layers inspired by the printers who shared their process and skill with me inviting me to create my own creative layering process.
No.7 THERE WILL NEVER BE A BORDER BETWEEN US
Location: Hairdresser shop, Market Street.
Artist: Laura Nelson.
The inspiration for this piece came from an exchange with a stranger at a music festival in the South of Ireland in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit result. Postage Stamp is fourth in the series and made specially for this year’s Kells TypeTrail. A twin painting has been painted for public display in Lower Ormeau Belfast.
No.6 AONTACHT
Location: Armstrongs, Market Street.
Artists; Calvin Duke and Alannah Foley.
It’s about the rivalry and that small decision made years ago to join together as one. It’s about the teams coming together but, it’s also about the individual connection.
No.5 INTERRELATE
Location: Florists Market Street.
Artist: Anne Reilly.
This work is about human connection and the importance of this contributing to a person’s wellbeing. The inspiration for this project comes from exploring how language and communication interrelate or unite to create a human connection. To achieve this, stitch and cloth are used as metaphors for language and communication. The act of attaching the stitch to the cloth is creating the connection. The colour green is typically associated with connection and is used together with various hand stitched techniques to symbolise this. The chosen languages are English, Gaelic, and Latin owing to their historical link to St. Colmcille and the Book of Kells.
No.4 FAVORITE FRAGMENT SERIES
Location: Lappins Old Pharmacy, Church Street.
Artist: John Tarpey.
I’ve created two typographic explorations based on ‘Station To Station’ by David Bowie and ‘Shadowplay’ by Joy Division. Music is a great source of inspiration to typographically
experiment with. The Favorite Fragment series is an ongoing typographic exploration which I post on Instagram @john_tarpey. The two songs for this years Connect theme were requested by Myles Dungan and Nerys Williams.
No.2 KOBOLD
Location: the Sawmills Gate, Church Lane.
Artist: Fiona Strasser.
Band posters, the feeling of being connected by music.
No.3 LEY LINES
Location: the Pet Shop, Church Street.
Artist: Tommy Leavey.
The sacred sites of Ireland connect so many people in diverse ways. That connection is what makes them so special on a physical and nonphysical level. Some people have said these places are like being in two worlds at the same time. I have chosen the spaces between these 2 worlds. It allowed me to explore my interest in the sacred spaces in Ireland and what connects them and makes them so special. Through a lot of research, my final solution is based on the ley lines of the earth connecting all these magical spaces. Ley Lines are energy lines that run across the earth and are stronger at certain areas around the world.
No.1 Homage
Location: White Flowerbed, Church Lane.
Artists; Mark Smith, Sean Crowe and Fiona Strasser.
Homage Shrine to our patron saint of lettering who was a creative visionary. St. Colmcille’s Shrine - a colourful display of type using translations.
We are delighted to be back with you to celebrate the launch of this year’s TypeTrail. join us at the Kells Church of Ireland on Thursday 22ND June, at 7pm for the offical launch, as we once again turn the streets of Kells into a canvas of type. Kells TypeTrail brings together a wide range of artforms, highlighting our unique heritage of lettering as a form of communication. Each year, one word is translated into a variety of languages, reflecting the diversity of the community in Kells, with the aim of providing a means to bring individuals and groups together. As this is what Arts, Culture and Heritage does, this year’s word is ‘Connect'.
