A patchwork quilt by Breda Browne which is on show as part of the Ciar Quilters annual show in Kerry County Museum, Tralee.

Patchwork and quilting are important craft traditions in rural Ireland. Muckross House hold a number of quilts that a well over a hundred years old, rough cotton sheets and flour bags died with madder and quilted with fleece. Ciar Quilters keep that tradition alive as well as experimenting with contemporary techniques, a perfect match of art and craft.

Ciarán Walsh has been working with them for years, hanging an annual exhibition that showcases the work of women quilters from Kerry. The 2015 show has just opened in Kerry County Museum in Tralee and runs until October 1. It is an important part of the Museum’s programme for Culture Night, which takes place on Friday 18 September 2015: a great night in the museum!

This photograph shows a general shot of the Ciar Quilters annual show in Kerry County Museum, Tralee. The exhibition was hung by Ciarán Walsh of curator.ie for Culture Night 2015