The Bridge of Tears
The Bridge of Tears sits at the base of Muckish mountain in North-West Donegal. During the Great Famine, emigrants heading towards Derry port to board ships travelled here on foot accompanied by their relatives. This bridge marks the point at which they parted ways in the knowledge that this would be their final goodbye.
This bridge represents the survival and endurance of those who crossed it and those they left behind, the versions of themselves left behind. It is a space which holds the memory of a language, stories, heritage and loved ones lost. Telling not the story of one individual but a collective cultural memory and identity of sorrow, it is the final point in a living wake, a funeral procession for those not yet but nearly dead. It is both a painful ending and the hope of a bright new beginning.
Featuring five original poems by Donegal poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin in English and Irish, this book will explore the experience of emigration, migration and displacement of people. The book will include a photogravure print and visual interventions created with sumi ink and salt, forming abstract ‘drawings’ inspired by migration pattern mapping and the movement of the tides. The book will use water and turf collected from the area, capturing the essence of the place, and forming a ‘living’ embodiment of the space and its people.
Expected release: August 2025
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