A Co Wexford parish last weekend enthusiastically accepted a detailed pictorial record of its outstanding natural and historical attributes, all encompassed in an area of 22 by 12 feet.
Three men from the village of Piercestown, between Wexford and Rosslare, have spent almost a year working under the guidance of a community artist, Anne Heffernan, to complete the mural which was displayed on Friday in the St Martin's GAA community centre.
Vincent Staples, Brendan Hendrick and Edward P. Doyle had no artistic experience, but made the commitment of one night a week for six months to develop the necessary skills, after which they designed and painted the mural.
This was the latest of three community arts projects developed by Wexford Arts Centre as part of its rural community arts programme.
The first two projects were a tapestry by local women and a large courtyard mural by 10-yearolds from the local primary school.
Denis Collins, the centre's artistic director, said the idea arose of inviting local men to take part in a creative project, and the three volunteers were found after a meeting decided the subject matter of the next composition should reflect the life and environment of Piercestown village and its hinterland.
The parish, which includes the neighbouring village of Murrinstown, lies between the Forth Mountain and the sea, and includes the South Slobs wildbird sanctuary.
All of these elements, mountains, birds and sea, are included in the finished mural, as well as sections which depict mummers, the local hunt, farm animals, the strong local hurling and football tradition, Johnstown Castle, and even the section of the Wexford-Rosslare railway, which passes through the parish.
The international Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has assisted the development of the rural arts project by Wexford Arts Centre.
Denis Collins said the foundation has played a significant role in encouraging the arts in rural Ireland.
'They seem to be a very radical trust fund, open to suggestions and ideas and changing the focus of their support regularly,' he said.
The centre has operated a community arts programme for 15 years and aims to establish long-term connections with the rural areas where it initiates projects. The programme has stimulated, throughout the county, a wide interest and hunger for involvement in arts activities.
'Every day people are ringing up and asking us to come and do a project with their village or their school,' said Denis Collins.