The official opening of the Shannon Lights exhibition took place at the Limerick Museum recently.
This awe-inspiring exhibition is curated by Mary Conroy, the first Artist in Residence in the history of Limerick Museum, and Sarah Kelly, Limerick Museum.
Shannon Lights showcases the work produced by Mary, 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 ecoart 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 multipart project investigating the materiality and history of Folkestone, UK; and Site (2019), a largescale 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.
Opening the exhibition Mayor of Limerick, John Moran said: “My goal is to support our artists and creators, encourage innovation, and elevate Limerick as a vibrant cultural hub on both national and international stages. This exhibition is a powerful example of how our cultural institutions can help us reflect on Limerick’s past while also inviting conversation about our future. The work of Limerick museum is a strong example of Limerick’s commitment to culture, creativity”
Dr. Pat Daly, Director General at Limerick City and County Council has great admiration for the exhibition in that: “The Shannon Scheme was an astonishing achievement, the largest engineering project in Europe in the 1920s and the largest hydroelectric station in the world on its completion (not to be superseded until the opening of the Hoover Dam in the USA in 1936). This exhibition allows us to reflect on the impact that such huge infrastructure projects may have on communities and environments in both the short and long term.”
Príomh Chomhairleoir at Limerick City and County Council, Cllr. Catherine Slattery commented: “This exhibition invites us to consider how massive infrastructure projects shape communities and natural landscapes, both immediately and over generations. I also highly commend Mary for being the first Artist in Residence in the history of Limerick Museum, I urge everyone to drop in for a look.”
Dr. Matthew Potter, Curator Limerick Museum added: “We warmly welcome this fantastic exhibition to the Limerick Museum. During her residency, Mary undertook extensive research and site visits, during which she engaged closely with relevant objects from the Museum’s collection. The final work took the form of a set of cards and a cigarette box. These were inspired by an item in the Limerick Museum collection – a set of collectable cigarette cards that celebrated and commemorated the construction of the Shannon Scheme. In this exhibition, the cards are juxtapositioned with the objects that inspired them.”
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.
The Shannon Lights exhibition will be on display in Limerick Museum until 14 March 2026. Limerick Museum is situated in the Old Franciscan Friary on Henry Street, next door to Dunnes Stores.
The Museum is open to the public Monday to Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm; Saturday 10.00am-1.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Admission is FREE.