McCarthy trumpets Drogheda’s appeal

The River Liffey has been something of an obsession in artist Fergal McCarthy’s work for the last few years.

He’s swum in it, floated dozens of larger-than-life Monopoly houses on it, he’s even lived on a man-made island in the middle of it. His latest project, however, takes him to a town synonymous with another famous river, Drogheda on the banks of the Boyne.

For four days this week, starting tomorrow, McCarthy will take up residence in the town’s Highlanes gallery, living in a tent and turning the space into an open-to-all-comers centre where art can be made, stories exchanged, and little discoveries made about Drogheda and its heritage.

Welcome to Drogheda is the name of the project and McCarthy will herald his presence in the city each day at dawn and dusk, when he, on the trumpet, and a small brass ensemble, will serenade the town from a high rooftop with music composed by Nick Seymour of Crowded House fame.

“When they asked me to come and do something, ” says the artist, “I had a few big ideas I was keen to bring along. But then I realised Drogheda itself is a big idea and I didn’t really need to bring anything. I want to make a project about the town, as an out-of-towner who arrives and works with what he finds.”

The seed for Welcome to Drogheda germinated far from the town, in Reykjavik, when McCarthy was on a residency there. “I loved being in Reykjavik,” he says, “but I was conscious of how we don’t think of places on our doorstep in the same way. I think that any Irish town is fascinating in its own right, and I wanted to show that maybe we don’t have to go to London, or New York, or Iceland to be surprised and inspired.”

Amazing what you can do with recycled forklift palettes! #WelcometoDrogheda @Highlanes August 15-31 pic.twitter.com/CIRe9YjykC

— Fergal McCarthy (@FergalMcCarthy1) August 7, 2013

McCarthy has made repeated trips to Drogheda in the last few months, sharing his discoveries on Twitter (@fergalmccarthy1) and creating a quirky illustrated guidebook of the town which visitors will be able to use. Those visitors will encounter McCarthy on his couch in the gallery, where he will be interviewing notable locals in the mornings, and invited outsiders in the evenings. His coffee machine will be on standby should anyone like to join him for a cup and a chat. The more adventurous will be able to challenge McCarthy to a game of ping pong (he’s bringing a table).

In between, he’ll be leading walking tours of the town, while the gallery will also host a salon display of Drogheda-themed artworks from the town’s municipal collection, accompanied by a giant map of the town by the artist (running until Sept 1). Among those works is a view over Drogheda, painted by Gabrielle Ricciardelli in the 1740s. The painting swathes the town in a golden light, a rare setting that McCarthy calls the Baroque equivalent of photoshopping.

McCarthy shows a lively interest in Ricciardelli and his time in Ireland, and shares anecdotes about other artists featured in the municipal collection. “I’m gathering back stories,” he says, which will be shared with the public alongside the paintings selected. “The artist is often as interesting as the work. When I see a work, I want to know who the artist is.”

He must be hoping the Drogheda public feels the same and accepts his invitation.

*Welcome to Drogheda by Fergal McCarthy is at the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, from tomorrow to Sunday. More details at www.highlanes.ie and www.fergalmccarthy.com