A Course Change
Moving forward I have decided to focus my enquiry more narrowly gain on the ritual of Holy Communion in Ireland at the turn of the millennium.
Ireland at this time was at the apex of its transition to its current, state. Moving from a rural, conservative society to one that embraces change and operates largely as a tax haven for multinational companies. This was the era of the Celtic Tiger in full flight; a period wherein the country gained tangible wealth. A new set of clothes that at times seemed ill-fitting.
The ritual of Communion became emblematic of this time in the country’s history. This once important milestone was no longer about religion, but instead became ostentatious pageantry. Questions of piety were quickly replaced by ones concerning the amount of money received from relatives; the clothes worn during the big day; and where one’s post-Communion meal would be held.
Artist Jim Ricks captured the ludicrous nature of all this in his 2010 work Poulnabrone Bouncy Dolmen. Ricks stated, “At the height of the Celtic Tiger period, on every special occasion there seemed to be a bouncy castle around. Bouncy castles became a sort of vernacular monumental sculpture. So I decided to bring those two things together, and create a sort of hybrid version of Irish identity.” (2012)
(Accessed: 2 May 2023).