2.Heritage Week 2024

Voices of the Village, Guthanna an Sráidbhaile Dumha Acha


Seachtain Náisiúnta na hOidhreachta. Heritage Week 2024 takes place from 17th – 25th August 2024. This year’s theme is “Connections, Routes and Networks”, and the Heritage Council invites all to explore how we are connected to each other both through physical routes and cultural connections. 

Robert Henri’s Dooagh Sitters

Heritage Week Event 2

Thursday 22nd August, 5pm – 7pm

  • Gielty’s Bar and Restaurant
  • Dooagh, Achill, Co. Mayo
  • F28 F6C1
  • Co. Mayo

Michael O’Donnell from Achill reads his poem on Robert Henri and the children

The Museum of Childhood Ireland’s researcher Áine Maguire, generously sponsored by Mayo County Council, has completed an Achill Oral History project on behalf of the MoCI. The project relates to the sitters of American artist Robert Henri’s portraits.

These portraits were painted by the artist between 1913 – 1928 in his home at Corrymore House, Dooagh, Achill, Co Mayo.

Most all of the sitters were children from Dooagh who have now passed away. The project set out to interview their relatives and bring this cultural phenomenon to the fore, as a continuation of the Museum of Childhood Ireland’s Robert Henri and the Children of Dooagh Project 2022-2023, History Festival in March 2023 with Achill Tourism, and Paired Portraits Children’s workshops with the children of Dooagh NS:

The Children of Achill & Robert Henri Project & History Festival
Paired Portraits Exhibition


The 2024 research presentation will speak to the lives of the children of the portraits, their families and their relationship to Dooagh, with relevant information from the project interviews.

Connections, Routes and Networks….Dooagh, Achill, Co Mayo, and United States, UK…

  • Doors will open at 5pm 
  • John Hoban will play the fiddle from 5pm until the start.  
  • Anna Sutcliffe, from the Museum of Childhood Ireland, Músaem Óige na hÉireann Team will welcome all, and read an introduction to the oral history project on behalf of Majella McAllister and Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley
  • Anna will also be on hand with a book for people to sign in if they would like to
  • Refreshments will be available on arrival
  • The talk will be recorded, and photos taken
  • Aine Maguire will then present the research
  • Guests will be invited to ask questions
  • John Hoban will play the fiddle to end 

Copies of Robert Henri’s portraits will be hung for people to view.

The Museum of Childhood Ireland’s Oral Histories Research Project, Achill, will be held in a digital repository housed by the James Hardiman Library along with relevant documents. A living archive, it will be added to and built upon over time by the MoCI.

EVENT 2: GUTHANNA AN SRÁIDBHAILE DUMHA ACHA

SUITEOIRÍ DUMHA ACHA

Chríochnaigh an taighdeoir Áine Maguire, atá urraithe ag Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo,tionscadal Stair Bhéil thar ceann fhoireann staire Mhúsaem na hÓige. Baineann an tionscadal seo le portráidí de chuid an ealaíontóra Robert Henri.

Phéinteáil an t-ealaíontóir na portráidí seo idir 1913 – 1928 ina theach i dTeach an Choire Mhóir, Dumha Acha.

Leanaí ón sráidbhaile ba ea formhór na suiteoirí ar fad. Chuaigh an tionscadal chun agallamh a chur ar a ngaolta agus an feiniméan cultúrtha seo a thabhairt chun cinn.

Labhróidh Áine ar a cuid taighde agus ar shaol na bpáistí sna portráidí, ar a dteaghlaigh agus ar a ngaol le Dumha Acha, agus ar eolas ábhartha ó agallaimh an tionscadail.

Abhár a bheidh clúdaithe sa chur i láthair: Naisc, Bealaí agus Líonraí….an sráidbhaile, an t-oileán, na Stáit Aontaithe, an Ríocht Aontaithe srl.

Crochfar cóipeanna de phortráidí le go bhfeicfidh daoine iad. Beidh plé oscailte ina dhiaidh sin agus sólaistí ar fáíl.

GRMA Anna Sutcliffe

Áine Maguire presents her research on behalf of the Museum of Childhood Ireland

Event 1. is inter-generational and takes place in the morning from 11am -1pm with local artist Maeve Clancy: https://museumofchildhood.ie/1-heritage-week-2024/

Further Information

Museum of Childhood Ireland