Kathleen Napoli McKenna (1897-1988) born in Oldcastle, Co. Meath, was a witness and a contributor to one of the most significant times in Ireland’s history. In her work producing the Irish Bulletin for the Propaganda Department of the first Dáil, she showed bravery, resourcefulness and dexterity. During the War of Independence, the London treaty negotiations, and the Civil War, she had confidential and volatile information at her fingertips. She was twenty-two.

‘KATHLEEN’ by award-winning Irish artist and educator Leah Hilliard celebrated her remarkable story. A bespoke textile work was realised on a billboard located at the roundabout on Railway Street, Navan, with a QR code linking to a video spoken-word piece. Digitisation of the original textile work, draws attention to the evidence of the human hand; ‘KATHLEEN’ is an individual act of making, just as the Irish Bulletin was. Leah Hilliard would like to reproduce Kathleen in Dublin city centre through Luas advertisment as her work on the Irish Bulletin had her criss-crossing the city. Passengers of the Luas would be able to download the film and learn more of this Meath historical figure.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.