Public Art Work

  • Artist in Residence Carrickmacross Workhouse

    Orlagh Meegan-Gallagher has created a permanent public exhibition of multidisciplinary artworks for Carrickmacross Workhouse helping to tell the story of this building's dark past during the Great Famine. Commissioned by Carrickmacross Workhouse and funded by the International Fund for Ireland and Monaghan County Council.

  • Presenting Sting with one of my textile art pieces

    Sting's great. great, great grandmother died in Carrickmacross Workhouse in the late 1800's

  • Kevin Gartlan, Orlagh Meegan-Gallagher and Australian Ambassador Ruth Adler

    Presenting Australian Ambassador Ruth Adler with a piece of my textile work

  • Orlagh Meegan-Gallagher, Professor Christine Kinealy and Minister Heather Humphries

    The Opening of my artworks on permanent public display at Carrickmacross Workhouse

  • Presenting Professor Christine Kinealy with textile piece

  • The Last Resort

    Large textile piece depicting paupers waiting outside for admittance into the workhouse during the Great Famine, knowing they will be separated from each other

  • The Last Resort in situ

  • The Land of Plenty

    Large textile panel. Hand dyed, hand and machine embroidered, beaded, appliqued and hand painted silk. Based on Professor Christine Kinealy's book 'A Death Dealing Famine' and inspired by her 15 years research into ship records to see what foodstuffs were actually being exported out of Ireland during the Great Famine

  • Land of Plenty in situ

  • The Meeting

    Art installation using an original hat rack and situated in the Board of Guardians room in Carrickmacross Workhouse. Each hat represents a member of the Board during the Great Famine with images on each hat linked to their influence and impact on the 'inmates' of the workhouse and in the area of Carrickmacross. Inspired by the surviving minutes of the meeting held there during that time.

  • The Forgotten

    Soft sculpture representing the 400 children who were housed in Carrickmacross Workhouse during the Great Famine. Their names have not survived

  • The Forgotten in situ

  • A Day in the Workhouse

    Acrylic paint. Tryptitch representing life in the workhouse for the 'inmates'. The central panel depicts the Master, who was in charge of the daily running of the workhouse and would have been much feared.

  • The Departure

    Art Installation representing the final moments before the departure of 38 teenaged girls from Carrickmacross Workhouse. They were sent to Australia during the Great Famine through the Earl Grey Scheme and were aged 14 yrs to 19 yrs.

  • Departure 2

    Acrylic paintings. This triptych represents the ocean voyage of emigrants to Australia, America, Canada etc. Monaghan is a land-locked county and most people would never have seen the sea before and were now faced with a hellish journey on 'coffin ships' with a seemingly endless vista of ocean to cross.

  • Turbury

    Large textile panel. Hand felted base with applique, hand and machine embroidery and beading. Turbury is the ancient right to cut turf for fuel for free.

  • Farewell My Children

    Pyrography and painting on original panel and cupboard door from Carrickmacross Workhouse. This piece remembers all the people who left Carrickmacross Workhouse and the local area to emigrate during the Great Famine, the terrible journey they endured in 'coffin ships' and the loved ones they left behind. This piece is not yet on display