Neart Ciúin (Quiet Strength)

There’s a particular feeling that comes with leaving home – that no matter how far you go, parts of it stay with you, shaping how you move through life.

Softly written on the canvas are lines from two Irish- language poems by Máirtín Ó Direáin. Words from “Machnamh an Duine Stoite” (Reflections of an Uprooted Man) speak to what is inherited, the early shaping of a heart and mind, and a deep appreciation of our roots, brought from reflections we have later in life. These fragments sit softly within the work, like memory itself; not always fully visible, but deeply felt.

At the bottom, more direct words begin to emerge – drawn from “Cranna Foirtil” (Strong Oars): “Soul, you must stand your ground, / Hold onto all that’s deeply rooted.” They speak to the importance of your own character and strength as life unfolds elsewhere.

The piece sits in that in-between space so many recognise – between where you come from and where you find yourself, between the roots that ground us, and the opportunity that carries us forward.. It reflects the sentiment that while we may leave home, we are never without it. It lives on in us, steadying us as we learn to navigate a life of our own.