Íor an Spéire – Féile John Ford

Féile John Ford is a unique bi-lingual cultural event that takes place in September in An Spidéal, Co. Galway, celebrating one of Hollywood’s greatest directors and acknowledging his strong links with Cois Fharraige. Both of Ford’s parents instilled in him a great sense of identity and connection with the land of their birth, so much so that he regularly returned to Conamara, not only to visit but to make award-winning films in his ancestral homeland.

In recognition of his legacy, Féile John Ford intends to hold a visually-creative community event in this year's programme ÍOR NA SPÉIRE (‘Where my place meets the sky’) is an open invitation to all who live along Cois Fharraige to photograph and visually portray the essence and meaning of their home and landscape. The intention is to reflect the recurring theme of community, identity and home that permeates through so much of Ford’s storytelling.

We will project all the images on our cinema screen throughout the festival, between films, but most exciting of all, we intend to print a selection – up to 20 images - and mount them at various locations (interior and exterior) throughout the village, transforming An Spidéal into a free, open-air arts space.