In response to the tender process to develop an appropriate artwork to commemorate the women of Kerry during the revolutionary period, Kerry County Council is delighted to announce renowned Sculptor, Elizabeth O’Kane, as the successful artist.
Elizabeth O’Kane is an award-winning Irish sculptor, and a member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors. Her work can be seen in Leinster House; The European Parliament; Irish Embassies in Washington DC and London; Shannon Airport; University of Limerick; Munster Rugby, Waterford Cathedral Square, and Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens.
This art commission by Kerry County Council, was tabled by its female Elected Members through a notice of motion to commemorate the role women in Kerry played during the struggle for Irish freedom between 1912 and 1923. The notice of motion acknowledged that women in Kerry contributed to the changes that shaped a new Ireland.
The brief that the artists responded to, asked them to be cognisant of the impact that events of the time had on women in Kerry. Many were actively involved in the revolution, and many more were directly or indirectly impacted by the revolutionary period. Cumann na mBan played an active role during the War of Independence and supported the anti-Treaty side during the Civil War. The first plaque dedicated to Cumman na mBan was unveiled in Knocknagoshel in March 2023, at the site of the centenary memorial monument to commemorate Dan Murphy ‘The Blacksmith Volunteer’.
Cumann na Saoirse was formed in 1922 to give a platform to women who supported the Treaty. Many women in the county were not members of either organisation, but nevertheless played a vital role in the struggle for freedom.
Women helped with intelligence gathering, the movement of munitions, hiding and transporting arms, distributing propaganda, sheltering volunteers, disseminating information, and caring at the frontline for the injured and bereaved. The women of the time believed strongly in the promise of the 1916 Proclamation that women should be treated equally to men and contributed to the establishment of equal suffrage.
Women in Kerry were integral to the revolutionary period. Many suffered greatly for their involvement or for their connections to others. Often women bore the direct brunt of reprisals. These women had determination, strength, resilience, and vulnerability. They were brave, committed and visionary, ideological, political, radical and propagandists. Some were reluctant, many suffered, and silence was often part of their life at the time. Many never spoke of the impact of their experiences.
Elizabeth was delighted to be awarded the sculpture commission to commemorate the Women of Kerry of the Revolutionary Period. The material for the sculpture work is bronze. The artwork will be sited in Tralee Town Park.
Elizabeth’s work can be seen on her website at www.elizabethokane and on Instagram at @okanelizsculptor
