Image courtesy of Bará Skokanova
‘Freebirds’ weaves together the stirring true stories of a group of friends from Co Longford who happen to love motorcycles. In 1997, they set-up Freebird’s Motorcycle Club (M.C.C.). Since then, three young members have died on the road.
Through the sharing of deeply personal experiences by Freebird’s M.C.C. members recalling how they finally came to terms with these fatal accidents, this documentary film explores the unseen side of bikers in an Irish rural community and what being a biker means to each of them. This includes Brigid Mulligan’s brother, Sean Mulligan, who died in 2002 aged 21.
Our Arts and Creative Engagement Lead, Dominic Campbell, says:
“In addition to being a visual feast accompanied by a rocking soundtrack, ‘Freebirds’ gives an intimate insight into how this Club’s supportive community has helped members, both individually and collectively, find tangible ways to grieve for and remember their friends.”
‘Freebirds’ is the result of a year-long collaborative project between twelve Freebird’s M.C.C. members, artist Brigid Mulligan, and cinematographer Bruno Pierucci. It was initially supported by the Project Realisation Award from Arts Council Ireland and Create Collaborative Arts.
Brigid then secured one of our Seed Grants, supported by Creative Ireland, to curate a nationwide tour of special screenings of ‘Freebirds’. This tour connected ‘Freebirds’ with new audiences via screenings and creation of spaces for conversations around grief and loss.
Previous screenings include:
- Motorcycle Rally / Artist Initiated Exhibition, Pallas Projects Studios, 115–117 The Coombe, Dublin 8, on Saturday 29th July for two weeks.
- ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ Annual Bikers Memorial, The Court House Cinema, Clones, Co Monaghan on Friday 5th May 2023 at 5.45pm and 6.45pm
- Sally Long’s Rock Bar, Abbey Gate Street, Galway, H91 F2RV, on Sunday 21st May 2023 at 5pm.
- Corn Mill Theatre, Carrigallen, Leitrim, H12 T270 on Friday 10th March 2023
About Brigid Mulligan
Originally from Longford and now based in Galway, Brigid Mulligan is an award-winning visual artist who uses a variety of creative practice and social engagement to examine the trauma of grief and the effect loss has on the anxious state. Brigid holds a Masters in Creative Practice (CCAM Galway, 2018), and a First Class Honours Degree in Fine Art Sculpture (CCAM Galway, 2009). She had two solo exhibitions in 2022 and her work has been included in numerous group shows, both nationally and internationally.
Read more about Brigid’s work on her website: brigidmulliganvisualartist.com
