Six talented Trinity students have been named as the winners of a creative competition held to honour the legacy of Irish author, Christy Nolan, and to mark the 25th Anniversary of Trinity disAbility Service.
The competition, Perseverance Through Words: A Tribute to Christy Nolan, was open to all disabled staff and students in Trinity, with all art forms welcome, including literary, visual arts, film, and performance. It was organised by Trinity disAbility Service in collaboration with the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
The winners are:
- Anna Lopuchowycz, for a poem entitled ‘Notch’
- Aoife O’Donovan, for a musical composition inspired by Christy Nolan’s words which he used in his autobiography to describe the beginning of his venture as a Trinity student; ‘Zealous mercurial dreams were about to be realised’
- Ava Rose Beggy, for an untitled oil painting; inspired by the above quote
- Avantika Singhal, for an untitled personal essay, inspired by Christy words; ‘Now could he ever get his chance to let folk see what they thought never existed?’
- Claudia Clarke Gosalvez, for a charcoal drawing entitled, ‘Hearts’
- Holly Wolohan, for poem entitled ‘Private Piano Portmanteau’
The winners were announced at a ceremony in Trinity Library’s Long Room on Wednesday, May 7th, which included speeches from Yvonne Nolan, Christy Nolan’s sister, and Rosaleen McDonagh, author, playwright, and disability activist.
The overall winner, a musical composition by Aoife O’Donovan, will now form part of the current exhibition in the Long Room entitled "Zealous mercurial dreams were about to be realised: New treasures of the Old Library", which features archival material from the Library’s Christy Nolan archive. An online exhibition about the Christy Nolan archive can be viewed here.
Christy Nolan (1965-2009) remains a shining example of Irish creativity and literary talent. At just fifteen, he published his first poetry collection, Dam-Burst of Dreams, followed by his memoir, Under the Eye of the Clock, and later the critically acclaimed novel The Banyan Tree. During his time as an undergraduate at Trinity College Dublin, Christy's disability was secondary to the interactions he had with fellow students and his lecturers.
Declan Treanor, Director of Trinity disAbility Service, Trinity College Dublin, explained: “Christy Nolan once said that ‘nobody made him feel different’ at Trinity — a powerful reminder of what this university can be at its best: a place where disabled people are not only accepted but celebrated.
“As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Trinity disAbility Service, and honour Christy’s extraordinary legacy, we affirm that creativity and self-expression lie at the heart of both our history and our future. The development of the disAbility Hub has creativity embedded in its very foundations — a space where imagination, voice, and talent are nurtured. Through this competition, we celebrate the richness of disabled voices in all their forms, just as Christy once did.”
Laura Shanahan, Head of Research Collections, Library of Trinity College Dublin, added:
"Partnering with the DisAbility Service on this competition project, using the Christy Nolan Archive and his published works as inspiration, has been a huge privilege for the Library. Christy's archive was donated to Trinity by his family, ‘in tribute to his bravery, and his exceptional body of work… and as a testament to what is possible through love and indomitability’. In the act of preservation of the archive and through the re-promotion of his works in our exhibition, we are grateful to have played just one small part in ensuring Christy's legacy amongst the great Irish writers of the twentieth century.
“The Library feels strongly that what we collect now must contain diversity of voices and experiences. The history of Christy's experience has particular resonance in a University context because it demonstrates the role that science, technology, medicine and education had in in enabling the humanistic expression of his art."
The judging panel for the competition comprised: Sunniva Corr, Christy Nolan’s niece and a student on Trinity’s MPhil in Creative Writing; Dr Nick Johnson, Associate Professor of Drama; Eoin McNamee, Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing; and Jen O’Connor, Disability and Inclusive Internship Programme Officer.
Ends
The above image features overall winner, Aoife O’Donovan holding the score for her musical composition inspired by Christy Nolan
One of the most important surviving medieval manuscripts written in Irish, the Book of Leinster, goes on display as part of a new exhibition in the Library of Trinity College Dublin following a major conservation project. Funding for this conservation was generously provided through a grant from Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project
Written in Old and Middle Irish in the 12th century, the Book of Leinster, or Leabhar Laighean, is an important source of Irish literature and history from the medieval period.
It contains historical and genealogical information, mainly on Leinster kings and heroes, mythological and historical accounts of invasions and battles, descriptive prose and verse and the history and etymology of nearly 200 place-names.
The manuscript came to Trinity in 1786 in an unbound state. For some time the fragile condition of its 400 vellum pages prevented it being put on public display or being consulted by researchers.
But now, thanks to painstaking conservation, the manuscript has been cleaned, stabilised, extensive tears and losses have been repaired and the different sections re-assembled.
Several examples of newly-conserved pages from the Book of Leinster now form the centrepiece of a new exhibition entitled “The Book of Leinster − Preserving for the Future”. Curated by the Library of Trinity College Dublin the exhibition is being held to celebrate the completion of the conservation project.
Also on display will be other significant Irish-language medieval manuscripts including Brehon law texts and the Yellow Book of Lecan (Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin). The exhibition forms part of the Book of Kells Experience and will run until August 12th, 2025. See here to book tickets for both exhibitions.
Mícheál Hoyne, Assistant Professor, Department of Irish and Celtic Languages, Trinity College Dublin said:
“The Book of Leinster was rescued from possible oblivion by the Welsh scholar Edward Lhwyd at the end of the 17th century. At that time the native schools of history, poetry and law had collapsed and traditional Irish learning was in danger of being forgotten altogether. The manuscript then spent most of the 18th century inaccessible to Irish scholars in an English nobleman’s library. It was finally presented to Trinity College as a gift to the Irish people in 1786.”
“Since then it has been the responsibility of Trinity to preserve and study this vital source for Irish language, literature and learning in the Middle Ages. The conservation work now carried out on the manuscript is the latest chapter in that story. Scholars continue to explore the riches of this book, so it is vital that we preserve and protect this manuscript for future generations.”
A digital exhibition focusing on medieval Irish language manuscripts held in the Library of Trinity College Dublin can be viewed here.
ENDS
Note to Editors
More about the “The Book of Leinster − Preserving for the Future” exhibition:
Opening on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the exhibition includes several examples of newly-conserved pages from the Book of Leinster and other significant Irish-language manuscripts from the early Irish period including the Yellow Book of Lecan (Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin) and a number early Irish law texts known as Brehon law. The exhibition forms part of the Book of Kells Experience and will run until August 12th, 2025. See here to book tickets for both exhibitions.
More about the Book of Leinster: The Book of Leinster dates from the 12th century and it is a compendium of prose, verse, genealogy, mythology and place-name lore. Written by the “prime historian of Leinster”, Áed Úa Crimthainn, abbot of Tír-Dá-Glas (Terryglass) monastery in Co Tipperary, it was formerly known as the Lebor na Nuachongbála or Book of Nuachongbáil — a monastic site known today as Oughaval in Co Laois.