As part of the Yeats Festival Season, Sligo Primary Schools were all invited to create works of art inspired by one of three of W.B Yeats Poems: The Fiddler of Dooney, The Lake Isle of Innisfree and The Stolen Child.This is something that Jack Yeats once did for W.B for his poem Red Hanrahan, the image of which is used on the cover of the Yeats Season Brochure.

The Model’s Assistant Curator, and Niland Curator, Emer McGarry was part of panel that had the difficult task of judging the competition. Overall 29 primary schools in Sligo took part, and were all offered a complimentary copy of The Niland Collection catalogue of Jack B Yeats paintings as a thank you for participating.

The competition was made possible by Sligo Education Centre, and the winning pieces were exhibitied at the Yeats Festival Launch. If you missed that, check the Yeats Festival Website for the complete online gallery of winning pictures. A big thanks to Art Upstairs, The Rose of Inishfree and Failte Ireland for providing the prizes.