Departures and Arrivals was a body of work produced by Michael in collaboration with people from the Rosslare Harbour community in 2007. The project was commissioned by Wexford County Council and funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government under the Percent for Art Scheme. In response to the brief which required the artist to work as an ‘animateur’ within the community, the project had two main strands:

To produce a body of video work as a result of direct engagement,

consultation and collaboration with various people from the Rosslare Harbour area.

To establish a local group who, with the necessary skills and equipment,

would use digital video to explore aspects of their lives once the project had been completed.

Departures and Arrivals  Strand One

Following an open call in Wexford newspapers and radio a group comprising fifteen individuals came together to work alongside the artist in the production of a new body of video work.

Working out of a space in the Railway Social Club the participants, all of varying ages and backgrounds, engaged in dialogue with the artist in regard to living in Rosslare Harbour. Over the coming months, working on group and individual basis, various subjects were explored through digital video.

During this time, training was provided in the use of digital video technology, while the group were also introduced to methodologies and approaches used by artists when producing work, from the initial concept and research stages through to execution and presentation.

As a result of this contact, ten video works were produced on DVD at end of November 2007. These works were presented in the form of a series of video installations on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of February 2008 in the Rosslare Harbour Railway Social Club and Rosslare Harbour Ferry Terminal. There was a further public talk and presentation on the project in Wexford Arts Centre on Wednesday the 6th of February 2008. A limited edition DVD featuring the works was made available at both these events entitled Departures and Arrivals.

Since then, many of the works produced have been further presented in art spaces and film and video festivals nationally and internationally. These solo and group shows include Visions in the Nunnery (London), Miden Video Festival (Greece), The Edinburgh Film Festival (Scotland), Weiterstadt Film Festival (Germany), Optica (Spain and France), Instants Video (France), The Mirror Stage (Cyprus), Cork Film Festival (Cork) and Galway Film Fleadh (Galway) among many others.

Above: Working with Bernie Mullen in Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford, October 2007

Departures and Arrivals Strand Two

In a bid to harness and maintain this skills transfer, the artist established a video edit suite which is to be used by the group and the wider community. This edit suite, which included a G5 iMac Computer, video camera, tripod and video projector is now permanently based in the Rosslare Harbour Railway Social Club.

As a result of this contact and new equipment, the group officially launched themselves as ‘Documenting Rosslare’ at a screening event in October 2007.

The ‘Documenting Rosslare’ committee, which took ownership and responsibility of the new equipment and day to day running of the group developed an organisational constitution, and have registered with Wexford Community Arts Forum.

Since Fortune has finished the project, the ‘Documenting Rosslare’ have independently produced and screened two bodies of video works based on life within the Rosslare Harbour area.

Above: Working with ‘Documenting Rosslare’ in The Railway Social Club, Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford, Sept. 2007

Departures and Arrivals The Ten Works

Work 1.

Terminal Communication [2mins 53sec]

Made in collaboration with Mike Kavanagh

A fixed frame video work showing the actions of drivers as they approach a badly signed junction leading into Rosslare Harbour ferry port. Music: Nany from the album The Humours of Altan by Valerio.

Work 2.

A Job of Waiting [10mins 58sec]

Made in collaboration with Brian Culleton

Since the destruction of the signal cabin in Rosslare Harbour train station in 1997, a group of men have been employed to manually signal trains entering and exiting the station. Thanks to Joe Murphy and Eugene White.

Work 3. Foreign Stations [2mins 59sec]

Made in collaboration with Brian Culleton, Terry Fortune and Mick Clancy.

UHF aerials have long been a feature of rooftops in Rosslare Harbour. This work charts the history of the “foreign stations” in the village. Thanks to Richard Logue at www.irish-tv.com.

Work 4.

The All New Sisyphus  [2mins 01sec]

Made in collaboration with Bernie Mullen.

Sisyphus, a character in Greek mythology, was condemned to eternally roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again. This is a playful work that documents the arrival of a new car onto the island of  Ireland: a country fascinated with the cult of the new car.

Work 5.

The Sinnott Horde [15mins 23sec]

Made in collaboration with Bernie Mullen.

The Sinnott Horde focuses on a local fisherman and his capacity to re-design and re-invent redundant objects for further practical use. Featuring Toss Sinnott.

Work 6.

There has to be some truth in it... [8mins 05sec]

Made in collaboration with Terry Fortune, Mick Clancy and Maura Pierce.

A multiple screen work exploring a local story which claims that the house numbers on the railway workers’ houses in Rosslare Harbour are a continuation from the railway workers' houses in Fishguard, Wales. Thanks to all the imaginative contributors.

Work 7.

Four Songs  [18mins 02sec]

Made in collaboration with Helen Power and Ann Borg.

A multiple screen work which focuses on a series of local events which havebeen cemented into the psyche of the Rosslare Harbour community through song. Singers: Paddy Berry (The Battle on the Hill), Leo Carty (The Rosslare Lifeboat Crew), Phil Berry (The Kilrane Boys) and Tim Lyons (Jake the Sniffer Dog)

Work 8.

Above and Below  [2mins 19sec]

Made in collaboration with Siobhan McDonald.

Two diverging views of Rosslare Harbour are presented in this split screen work: one from the ground perspective, and the other from the sky.

Work 9.

Habitual Observance  [9mins 54sec]

Made in collaboration with Oliver Doyle.

Over a twenty-year period Oliver Doyle accumulated a body of photographs which were taken from the same vantage point overlooking Rosslare Harbour pier.

Work 10.

Ticking Away  [12mins 06sec]

Made in collaboration with Paul O’Toole.Paul O’Toole’s daily routine features in this multiple screen work which documents his commute to and from work. Thanks to Mark Dempsey at Euro Conex.

Departures and Arrivals Research

Above: Researching work ideas with Brian Culleton in Rosslare Harbour ferryport.

Above: Visiting various locations of importance around Rosslare Harbour with Mick Clancy

Above: Maura Pierce showing photographs she took whilst working in the Railway Social Club bar since late 1960’s.

Above: Filming the video work There has to be some truth in it... in The Railway Social Club, December 2007.

Above: Filming the video work Four Songs in The Railway Social Club, December 2007.

Above: Filming and editing A Job of Waiting with Brian Culleton in Rosslare Harbour ferryport in December 2007.

Above: Poster and DVD cover from Departures and Arrivals in Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford, February 2008.