The Peaceful Snake: How a Community Created a Living Artwork for St. Patrick’s Day 2026 in Skibbereen.

 

Every year, St. Patrick’s Day transforms towns and villages across Ireland into a kaleidoscope of green, gold, music, and laughter. Streets are filled with fiddles, parades, and the occasional rogue leprechaun. But this year, Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre and the local community decided to up the ante. They asked themselves: what if, instead of just watching the parade, the town became part of it?

That project became The Peaceful Snake, a large-scale community art installation that brought together people of different ages, cultures, and creative backgrounds. By the time St. Patrick’s Day arrived, the snake had become far more than a sculpture—it had become a symbol of diversity, inclusion, and the powerful connections that emerge when a community creates something together.

The Vision Behind the Peaceful Snake

The question that started it all was deceptively simple: “What kind of artwork could truly represent a community?”

The answer: something that moves, something that transforms, and something that might make you laugh if it suddenly flopped over mid-parade. Inspired by traditional Chinese ceremonial snake dances—but with an Irish twist—the snake was envisioned as a contemporary, community-powered marvel.

In many cultures, snakes symbolise transformation, resilience, renewal, and balance. Here, the snake shed its stereotypical slimy and scary image and became a peaceful emblem of harmony and collective strength.

Unlike a single artist’s art piece, this snake had many hands behind it, each adding its own quirks and colours. It would not just hang around in a gallery—it would move, ripple, and interact with the streets and people, alive in every sense.

A Project Rooted in Diversity, Inclusion, and Laughter

At its heart, The Peaceful Snake was about community. Workshops welcomed participants of all ages, languages, and artistic skill levels. Some people had never touched paintbrushes since primary school; others had perfected the art of abstract finger painting at home. Everyone was encouraged to bring curiosity, humour, and a willingness to embrace PVA glue sticky fingers.

The workshops became spaces of collaboration, conversation, and laughter. One moment, a 10-year-old was painting a scale; the next, he was arguing passionately that snakes have souls and deserve our handprints. The result? A patchwork of creativity, colour, and community spirit.

I never thought I’d be part of a giant snake parade, laughed Elisabeth, a parent, who recently relocate to West Cork from Belgium I came to Art Centre to check it out, and now, I’m basically a snake expert.

 Creative Journey

The project officially started in January. Meetings were held, materials were gathered, and word spread like wildfire—or at least like a well-timed Facebook and Instagram post. Everyone was invited to join. The goal was simple: if you wanted to be part of a living artwork, you could. No strings attached.

The creation of The Peaceful Snake unfolded gradually over two months, transforming from an idea into a vibrant reality.

Design Workshops

In the early creative sessions, participants explored the snake’s symbolism: peace, unity, cultural diversity, and how many shades of green can we actually fit on one segment? Large sheets of paper became a riot of sketches, doodles, and surprisingly convincing technical drawings.

I suggested a segment with realistic scales all over it, and someone else suggested painted scales in the shape of hearts, and another one suggested adding googly eyes, giggled one of the adult participants. Somehow, it all worked. The snake has personality now, she added.

Colours were chosen collectively: bright greens, deep blues, occasional yellow splashes and glitter (because why not?), and every segment had its own identity while contributing to the snake’s overall flow.

Creation Workshops

Once designs were finalised, the real magic—and glue—began. Newspaper, glue, paint, chicken wire and cardboard structures filled tables as participants built the snake, segment by segment. Some focused on strength and stability (so the snake wouldn’t collapse mid-parade). Others painted intricate patterns or created wearable snake headpieces.

The atmosphere was lively and collaborative.

Every time when I’m passing through the workspace I can feel and hear fantastic energy, recalled Jackie from Front of House.

By early March, the snake had grown into a vibrant, multi-sectioned artwork filled with colour, movement, and unmistakable community spirit.

Preparing for the Parade

As St. Patrick’s Day approached, rehearsals began. Carrying a giant snake in a coordinated way is harder than it sounds. (especially when we had to bring the snake downstairs from the workspace on level 2) There were trips, slips, and the occasional snake collapse, but mostly, there was laughter.

 It felt like dancing with a very large, very flexible friend, said Sylwia, the Leading artist. And no one judged my questionable coordination.

Oh, Lodrie -how we get that monster down the
stairs, laughed Mark, a visual artist.

The Day the Snake Came to Life - Dancing Through the Drizzle.

 Parade day arrived.  Skibbereen didn’t let a bit of drizzle dampen the St. Patrick’s Day spirit; if anything, the soft rain only made the colours brighter and the smiles bigger.

 Streets were lined with banners, music, and green everywhere. And then… The Peaceful Snake appeared.

The colourful sculpture slithered through the parade route. Children with headpieces jingled bells and chanted along, while adults guided the snake’s flowing segments. The audience didn’t just see an artwork—they witnessed a living symbol of collective effort, creativity, and good-natured chaos.

Despite the weather, the group which created the snake showed up with joy and determination, carrying the giant creature through the streets with pride. The crowd reaction, the cheers, the claps, the laughter, and the delighted pointing from children made every drop of rain worth it.

I felt like a tiny part of something enormous, said the parent of a child participant, and it was magical… and slightly terrifying because the snake is heavy, but magical mostly.

Why the Project Mattered

Beyond its visual impact, The Peaceful Snake created a shared experience, was visually striking, but its deeper value lay in the experience it created.

By drawing inspiration from multiple cultural traditions, the project demonstrated how art can bridge cultures and celebrate shared creativity.

For many participants—especially young people—contributing to a public artwork fostered confidence and pride. Seeing their work in the parade made them feel recognised and valued.

It reminded everyone that art can be messy, funny, and joyful – and that’s exactly how it should be!

Perhaps most importantly, the project created new relationships. People who might never have met discovered common ground through creativity, and Art became a language everyone could share.

“ It’s funny; it is sticky (PVA glue). It's fabulous," said Ruthann, a volunteer from The Leap Scarecrow Festival Team.

The Team Behind the Project

The project was led by artist Sylwia Migdal, who worked as both Lead Artist and Project Assistant. From the beginning, her vision was to create something open and welcoming — a space where people of all ages could come together, share ideas, and take part in making something exciting as a community.

The project grew thanks to the support of Uillinn’s team.

 Justine Foster, Programme Manager, and Ann Davoren encouraged Sylwia to bring her idea to life and share it with the local community. Stephen Canty generously opened the doors to his technical room, allowing us to borrow tools and materials to help build the snake.

During the parade, Louise Forshyt made sure everyone stayed safe and cared for, keeping spirits high with water, encouragement, and plenty of positive energy. The Front of House team - Colin, Jackie, and Charlie - also played an important role, warmly guiding parents and children to the workshop space so they could join in the creative process.

Sylwia was joined by a wonderful group of volunteers and collaborators who helped shape the workshops: visual artist Mark Beatty, Maeve and Ruadh Bancroft from West Cork Campus – Cork College of FET, Ana Marie McCarthy, Uillinn’s Art Project Assistant, Elena Baranova, Uillinn’s Art Project Assistant, Ruthann Sheahan and Maureen O’Neill from The Leap Scarecrow Festival Team.

Most importantly, the project came alive through the participation of families, Skibbereen Community School students, and young people who brought their creativity, curiosity, and energy to the workshops. Together, what began as a simple idea slowly grew into a shared artistic journey — one built by many hands and filled with imagination, collaboration, and community spirit.

A Living Symbol of Community

By the end of the Parade, the Peaceful Snake had already achieved something extraordinary. It had reminded everyone that art doesn’t need a single creator. Sometimes, the most powerful creations emerge when many hands, minds, and laughs come together.

The snake may have slithered off the streets, but it left a lasting impression: when a community comes together, differences become strengths, diversity becomes beauty, and laughter becomes part of the artwork.

Massive thanks to everyone who built, carried, and cheered for our giant snake. Days like this remind us why community matters. We turned a grey March afternoon into something bright, bold and unforgettable.

Honestly, said Sylwia I didn’t just join a parade—I joined a giant, collaborative adventure. And I survived. That’s a St. Patrick’s Day win.

Here’s to more moments like this where creativity leads the way and the whole community gets to celebrate it – said Ana Marie, Uillinn Art Project Assistant

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!