For the month of June I was asked to draw the cover image for the Dublin Inquirer. To accompany the image I wrote a piece about my vision for Ireland.
As a child, I was read the story "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde by my great uncle Fr. Michael Doyle an outspoken peace activist, and a member of the Camden 28 (a group responsible for the destruction and disruption to the US military drafting process).
In the story, a giant leaves his garden and castle for seven years to visit a Cornish ogre. While the giant is away, children discover his garden and begin to play in it. The birds sing, and the flowers blossom like stars. When the giant returns, he angrily evicts the children from the garden and builds a high wall around it to keep them out. The garden begins to miss the children. When spring arrives, the flowers do not bloom, and the peach trees do not bear fruit, without the children, the birds lose interest in singing. Leaving the garden in a state of perpetual winter.
Eventually, a few children sneak into the garden, and the trees bloom. When the giant sees the garden blooming with the children in it, he comes out to investigate, initially scaring the children away. The giant then lifts a crying child to the top branch of a tree. Upon seeing that the giant is no longer selfish the children return to play in the garden. The giant smashes down the high walls surrounding the garden, to allow others to play in the trees. “I have many beautiful flowers,” said the giant; “but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.” - Oscar Wilde.
The story carries a message of inclusion, and I believe it serves as a great allegory for breaking borders to allow more joy into our spaces and communities. Given the rise of far-right ideology and anti-immigrant, anti-trans sentiment, it is important to remember our creative legacy, and what it means to be Irish. Although there is a Christian element to this story I chose to interpret the text in a queer secular way appreciating its simplicity and beauty.
The illustration is based on a vision for a new Ireland that is diverse and fruitful. An Ireland that Facilitates connection in our communities and nature. An Éire that allows us space to grow. A place of kindness, gladness and solidarity. I believe sharing is abundant. Hoarding and exclusion will derelict our spaces and our souls.
