2nd February 2025
The forest that won’t forget the legacy of the brave women and families of 221+.
221+ art project purchases 16-acre plot with mature native Irish woodland as a public artwork and an ‘anti-monument’, a space of healing and resistance that upholds the legacies of those affected by historic injustices in women’s healthcare and preserves native woodland for generations to come.
A lifeforce and a legacy that will outlive us all.
The purchase of 16-acres of land by 221+, the group supporting the women and families impacted by the CervicalCheck debacle, is now complete, through a partnership with Hometree, a nature restoration charity who has made this purchase possible.
This ambitious project is the result of a long term collaboration between a core group of five 221+ members with artists Fiona Whelan and John Conway, in addition to creative engagement with the wider 221+ membership.
Focusing on 221+ member lived experiences and narratives, the collaboration stems from members’ desire to memorialise the losses they have experienced.
The choice of an ecologically rich Irish native forest as a living artwork comes from their aspiration to create a ‘physical and metaphorical place of unity, care and resistance’ (Fiona Whelan/John Conway) that will have an eternal legacy.
221+ and Hometree are committed to preserving the site as an untouched, natural native woodland. The purchase ensures that for the lifetime of current and future generations, this piece of land is protected woodland with a beating heart and a memory as old as the trees inhabiting it; the forest that won’t forget the legacy of the brave women and families of 221+.
Core art group member Lyn Fenton noted “this project started with a desire ‘not to forget’, and the choice of a place and a setting that will, literally, live forever, goes further than any memorial ever could. The forest that won’t forget is a glorious site that is rich in both flora and fauna, with stories to tell that are centuries in the making and that will live beyond us all. We can think of no better way to celebrate those who were denied the opportunity to be here to visit a place like this themselves”.
While the purchase of the site is a proud moment for 221+ and everyone involved, there is now work to do to ensure this beautiful mature woodland can be enjoyed by 221+ members and, in the future, the general public. Safe access and basic facilities need to be set up before welcoming any visitors or further artistic projects on the land.
The project’s energy now shifts to fundraising in order to secure these facilities and make the space accessible to members. See: Donate — The forest that won’t forget for our full funding ambitions.
The development of the project was funded by the Arts Council and 221+, with support from the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). The project is now actively looking for funding partners and donations to reach the stage where this important woodland and commemorative site can be accessed and appreciated in person. If you as a potential funder/fundraiser are excited by the prospect of involvement in this project at the intersection of arts, ecology and women’s health and empowerment, please contact us at: info@221plus.ie
We are also accepting donations here: Support The forest that won’t forget on iDonate.ie
The forest is located in County Clare.
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FOR REFERENCE
For media inquiries please contact Lily Fox by email at lilyfox@221plus.ie. For all other enquiries please email info@221plus.ie.
More background information on this project and participants can be found below.
More information on the forest can be found here: About — The forest that won’t forget
BACKGROUND
The forest that won’t forget site is in an ecologically rich area north of Ennis, in Co. Clare. The site rises to a peak of 297 metres above sea level, with views looking west over Inchicronan Lough. It is envisioned as a place for current and future generations to visit and reflect. It will be a place for remembering the past and imagining the future while having an eternal legacy that will outlive us all.
The core group of 221+ members working with the project is Lyn Fenton, Elizabeth Byrne, Wendy Stringer, Nicola O’Sullivan and Carla Duggan.
The artists working with 221+ on TFTWF are Fiona Whelan and John Conway.
Fiona’s arts practice is committed to exploring and responding to systemic power relations and inequalities through long-term cross-sectoral collaborations with diverse individuals, groups and organisations. Fiona is also Programme Leader of the MA/MFA Art and Social Action at NCAD.
John is a visual artist working extensively in complex health and community health contexts. Previous projects include long term collaborations with breast cancer survivors, mothers of children in end of life care, paediatric healthcare staff, and family members of forensic mental
healthcare patients.
Fiona and John combined their skills and methodological approaches to work with 221+ members across Ireland building relationships and gaining insights into the lived experience of those affected by CervicalCheck. Through this long-term collaborative process the group has
co-developed a body of archival and artistic written, performative and visual works.
Hometree is a nature restoration charity, based in the west of Ireland which works to establish and conserve permanent native woodland in Ireland, encouraging land regeneration and biodiversity through afforestation, restoration and education. Hometree’s approach integrates community, culture, science and natural systems. It is funded from partnerships, people and businesses who share and wish to support Hometree’s goals.
The 221+ Patient Support Group was established in September 2018 to provide information, advice, and support to the women and families directly affected by failures in the CervicalCheck Screening Programme that came to light following a court settlement achieved by Limerick
woman Vicky Phelan in April 2018.