On Thursday 22nd January 2026, the official opening of the Shannon Lights exhibition, curated by Mary Conroy, the first Artist in Residence in the history of Limerick Museum, and Sarah Kelly, Limerick Museum, will take place in Limerick Museum.
This exhibition showcases the work produced by Mary Conroy, during her residency and the Limerick Museum objects which inspired her. The theme of her residency was the Shannon Hydro Electric Scheme (1925-29), which though based in Clare, had a major impact on Limerick and fisheries on the Shannon. Limerick Museum has a large collection of material relating to the River Shannon, fisheries and leisure, including maps, paintings, photos, objects and fishing equipment. Mary responded to these items, situating them in the context of a tradition whose demise began in 1925 with the beginning of the Shannon Scheme.
Mary Conroy, who was appointed the Artist in Residence, is a professional member of Visual Artists Ireland and a founding member of Materials Matter, an artist collective focused on sustainability and environmental awareness in art production. Recent projects include Wilderland (2025), a socially engaged artwork in Mayo’s Wild Nephin National Park created in collaboration with local communities and park rangers; Meltdown (2023), a permanent bronze public artwork on the Fingal coastline; and A Magic Moving Living Thing (2020–2026), a socially engaged eco‑art project exploring the River Nore.
Previous projects include An Urgent Enquiry (2019), a public artwork examining climate change on the Fingal coastline; The Memory of Water (2018–2022), a Creative Europe project exploring waterfront heritage across three European countries; What Are You Made of Folkestone? (2021), a multi‑part project investigating the materiality and history of Folkestone, UK; and Site (2019), a large‑scale tile installation using clay from the Shannon River.
As a studio ceramic artist, Mary has represented Ireland at Collect Art Fair with DCCI as one of the country’s leading makers (2023, 2024) and have exhibited widely across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. She has worked as an art educator and facilitator for over 15 years, engaging with audiences from highly diverse backgrounds, including special needs groups, community organisations, addiction services, prisons, schools, and further and higher education.
The residency was funded under the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media 2025 Commemorative Programme and supported by Limerick Arts Office, Limerick City and County Council.
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The Old Franciscan Friary, Henry Street, Limerick, V94 C7W1
