Legend of Tír na nÓg brought to life
By Alannah Kenny
ROCK to the Top is a new project devised by Ciarán Taylor which aims to gather local participants to recreate one of the most famous scenes in the Tir na nÓg legend.
A Galway man, Mr Taylor now lives in Dublin and works alongside Tallaght’s Rua Red Youth Theatre as a full-time, freelance artist creating theatre and drama projects for a living.
His most recent artistic project was a radio drama devised for the visually impaired which was developed at the Rua Red studio and was unveiled in a cinema setting without the picture.
Now he is hoping to put together a community arts project under the theme of Tir na nÓg which will be commissioned by South Dublin County Council.
Ciarán took time out of his busy schedule to chat to The Echo about this new arts project.
What was your inspiration behind rock to the top?
The project was inspired by the scenery of the Kippure mountain as seen from Tallaght which happens to be a feature in the Tir na nÓg legend.
Where specifically will the hike take place?
The journey to Kippure will commence at the Rua Red Studio where chiselled pieces of a boulder will be left for members of the public to carry.
How will members of the community be involved?
The public are encouraged to get together on the allocated days each month to take up a piece of the boulder and carry it to the foot of the Kippure Mountain which will be a 22km hike resembling a mini Camino.
Will there be any light relief along the way?
There will be wildlife experts and historians accompanying the community on some of the journeys who will be detailing interesting folklore and wildlife facts along the way!
What if some people find the 22km a struggle?
Also, those who struggle to make the journey of 22km are encouraged to do the journey in halves.
What is the main goal you hope to achieve from this?
I hope that it will help to bring the people of Tallaght together by connecting people from where we’re from through the history of the surroundings. Hopefully they will continue to bring other people to the trail.
How long do you think it will take to complete the project?
I think it will take approximately one year to complete the project depending on the efforts of community members in making it a success.
Will there be any reward in store upon completion?
Well the aim is that the pieces of the boulder will be made into a cairn on completion of the project with a barbeque with meat from the valley or an event to celebrate the achievement at the bottom of the Kippure Mountain.
Will dressing up or role-play be a requirement for the Tir na nÓg theme?
It’s actually something I never considered but if people wanted to do it, we could absolutely give it a go, I’m open to all ideas!
When will the next gathering take place for the event?
The next gathering will take place on September 23 and anyone who is interested can visit the Rua Red Facebook page for details on when events are coming up.
