Tóraigh na Tóraithe/

Hunt the Hunters

There is a claim often repeated, from lodge to parlour, that hunting animals for sport is an Irish tradition. It is not.

Like many other colonial imports, the hunt, when done for amusement rather than food, came here through imperial influence. It is a reminder of a time when not only were our people denied dignity and sovereignty, but our land and its animals were too.

Irish mythology tells a different story. From the Murdúch to Oisín and the Hare, our traditions show animals as beings with agency and meaning. They are not playthings. They carry wisdom, their presence was once known and understood as a link to other worlds.

The Gaelic way of seeing the natural world was one of respect. Respect for the hawthorn, for the salmon of knowledge, for the stag whose appearance was seen as both warning and blessing. The animals of Ireland were regarded as kin, not quarry.

This work follows that spirit. It is not only made to please the eye but to challenge assumptions. Through copper, collage, ink and photography, Irish animals are dressed in the clothing of the coloniser: red coats, muskets, riding boots. Their expressions are deliberate, their gaze direct.

🦊

They look back at us and ask a simple question:
“How would you like it?”