Cork's Middle Parish Historical Society and the Coal Quay Shawlies have long sought some public commemoration of Kathy “Katty” Barry, a traditional shawled street trader and infamous Cork character, who witnessed huge change in the city of Cork throughout her lifetime. 

Located in the heart of the inner city, children from the local Grattan Street Educate Together primary school and and Bunus Afterschool club, Bachelors Quay,  will attend workshops at the “Urban Mirror” table sculpture in the Coal Quay, where they hear, see, and touch – through stories, songs, and artifacts – what life was like as a Shawlie in the bustling centre of daily commerce that was the Cornmarket/coalquay area. With visual aids of Archival photos, the heavy woollen traditional shawls, trading barrows etc, the young people are encouraged to draw and paint in response to the experience, generating significant source material for the planned Mural from a contemporary, intergenerational viewpoint.

The public on-street nature of the workshop will generate significant engagement with passing members of the public of all ages, with many stopping to tell their own memories and recollections, draw or paint themselves, or craft a traditional paper flower. All of these collaborations are documented and inform the final mural composition, to be painted on an adjacent wall in the Coalquay by a professional artist.

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