Fiona McDonagh’s exhibition is based on a college brief given in January 2026, which involved artistic research on Thoor Ballylee, the history of the tower, and WB Yeats. The brief was to produce a skirt, top and mini jumper. Fiona upcycled fabric for the skirt and top.
The top was previously a curtain, and is decorated with various elements from Yeats, such as the Symbol of Golden Dawn, a linocut design based on tarot of The Empress – to resemble a luggage case from 1920s (as Yeats travelled abroad for lectures).
The skirt was based on an 18th century design called a split waist band skirt or petticoat. Made from eight shirt sleeves – tea stained to look like old paper – four sleeves are embellished, four are plain. The front panel is a copy of the artist’s painting of Thoor Ballylee, and the other three a mix of machine embroidery, a copy of Yeats’s handwriting from 1916: “Only the wasteful virtues earn the sun”, alongside other pieces of decoration.
The mini jumper is a combination of Fair-isle plus mock cable, based on the tower stairs and the cover of The Winding Stairs.
The painting, the artist’s colorway inspiration, is an interpretation of a photograph taken by the artist while walking her dogs beside the tower.
Fiona McDonagh is a mature student currently studying Textiles and Sustainability at the Limerick School of Art and Design. She is a multidisciplinary artist based in Gort town, for her day job she practices as a Holistic Therapist.
Follow her on @weefeemcd _artdesign or @lamhclinicgalway
The Thoor Ballylee painting is for sale, but not available until after this exhibition finishes on 8 July.
Contact the artist on weefeemcd@gmail.com with any enquiries or any comments!
