Amach – To The Field

There is an incredible installation in Leitrim at the moment, it’s called Amach – To The Field. There are 21 doors dotted all across Leitrim, the doors contain a phone number, and when you dial it, you will hear the stories of the farmer and the families of the townland.

The project is curated by Edwina Guckian in collaboration with Leitrim artist Natalia Beylis and organic farmer John Matthews supported by Save Leitrim, Creative Ireland & Leitrim County Council.

As soon as I saw this project mentioned online, I knew that I had to go to check it out. Time is against me, so I know that I won’t get to all the locations, but I did get to Effrinagh, and heard Paul Gralton tell the story of the townland. I’m not going to spoil it by telling you everything, but I did hear how the farmers would look towards Sheemore to get an idea of the weather for the day.

I have never been to Effrinagh before, and it was quite something to leave the main roads in the bustling town of Carrick on Shannon and take the short drive to the small village of Effrinagh. I drove down narrow lanes, passed small stone cottages with red tin roofs, and saw farmers going about their work. Marillion was my music of choice, and I could relate to Fish singing about being “On the outskirts of nowhere and the ring road to somewhere.”

I parked outside The Swan Lake Inn, under the beautiful horse chestnut trees, with their changing leaves and fallen conkers. This is opposite the Jimmy Gralton Memorial, where the door is located. You can read more about Jimmy Gralton here: https://www.leitrimireland.com/listings/monument-to-jimmy-gralton/

Amach – To The Field is such a wonderful idea, it’s so important that we capture people’s stories and words, so that we can listen to them and learn more about the places that we live in. The doors will be in place until October 29th, and I’d really recommend you checking it out, if you are near Leitrim. Full details are here: https://www.edwinaguckian.com/amach/