The Cherry Blossom Tales is an immersive creative project that brings to life echoes of Ballaghaderreen’s past through storytelling, art, folklore, & community recollections. This initiative unfolds through workshops with TY students at St. Nathy’s College, where history is reimagined & voices from the past are given new life.

The Garden Gathering workshops invite students to journey through imagination, into the lost world of Anne Deane’s garden (Dillons), once visited by figures such as John Blake Dillon, Eamon De Valera, & Michael Davitt, who gathered beneath the cherry tree to share stories & moments of inspiration. The tree, now the last-standing witness to these moments, holds a magical quality. When we venture beneath its canopy, the veil between time thins, students reimagine whispered conversations, feel the rustle of fabric at elegant gatherings, & smell the scent of food and drink drifting from Monica Duffs. 

As cherry blossoms bloom, their drifting petals inspire new narratives. Though the words once spoken beneath the tree may be lost, something stirs in the fleeting moment of a gaze - a shift in perspective, an unexpected inspiration. The spring workshops explore movement, change, and the way memories drift through time. Poetry, photography & visual art spark the imagination, helping students reflect on how history lingers, carried forward through nature, place & the people who pass through.

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