Bechoille

Éanna Ó Briain

Due to the conceptual and long term nature of this work, on the initial viewing day day I thought it was appropriate to read
a bit about the piece before I planted the final tree to to give context to the audience about the work. I have
attached the script of this here:

“Back when the Island was comprised of more natural habitats the landscapes would have been engaged in a symbiosis of grassland, woodland and scrubland working with each other. Large herbivores would have browsed or trampled small trees. But where thorny scrub and undergrowth such as hawthorn, had established, it’s barbed defenses would have deterred grazing animals, which allowed other trees to establish amongst the scrub and to eventually outgrow them. The phrase "thorn is mother of the oak" is an old forestry saying; it is a poetic way of describing how humble, thorny plants are imperative for the survival and health of more noteworthy trees like the Oak, this phrase is the english title of this piece. The work is an abstract drawing depicting Bé Choille, a forest spirit, a character from the battle of Maigh Tuiread, whose name directly translates to 'wood nymph'. The drawing is my interpretation of Bé Choille and the Irish title of the work is named after her. The saplings planted throughout the grove will protect the Bíle, the large oak tree in the center and its progenies from the animals who graze the site and allow the saplings to continue to grow, preventing the roving herd of invasive Sika deer who have devoured most of the saplings throughout the woodland. These hawthorn saplings only cover a small area of the grove, but the goal is that they will spread through the vicinity, recreating a healthy ground cover of scrubland which is largely absent from the site. This piece was inspired by Neolithic earthworks such as Knowth and Dowth which are sun-aligned to serve as observatories for tracking the sun's movements, helping to create a calendar and marking occasions such as solstices and equinoxes, I was particularly influenced by this and the ritual aspect of these alignments. Bé Choille was known as a she-druid or witch of Lugh (the sun god) which further added reason to my placement of the drawing in reference to this relationship between the two deities but also the relationship between photosynthetic plants and the sun. Inspired by this research, I have aligned the openings of the spiral in line with the rising sun during the review week, to commemorate the occasion. The final tree will be planted today to mark the alignment and occasion. My goal with this artwork is to care for the land and help these young Oak and other local species of trees and their saplings grow and thrive with the aid of the Hawthorns, whilst paying homage to pre-Christian and pre-colonial ideas and the natural world. “

Bé Choille / Thorn is the mother of the oak, 2025

This piece is a site situated work based in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, responding to a herd of Sika deer, which have been ravaging a small woodlands eco-system. My goal with this artwork is to care for the land, to help repair this eco-system and help these young oak and other local species of trees and their saplings grow and thrive with the aid of the planting of native hawthorns, whilst paying homage to pre-Christian and pre-colonial ideas and the natural world.

May 2026

Details, May 2026

Images of Installation/Planting, November 2025