News from the Lazy Wall
An artist-led community arts project by Anna King
Supported by Ballaghaderreen Tidy Towns and funded through Roscommon County Council's Creative Ireland Programme.
The Story Behind the Lazy Wall
The creamery was once at the heart of everyday life in Ballaghaderreen. Farmers travelled from the surrounding countryside by horse and cart, bringing their milk to be weighed and processed.
Beside the creamery stood the Lazy Wall, where farmers gathered while waiting their turn, exchanging news, sharing stories and catching up on local happenings.
Over time, the wall became a familiar meeting place, part of the everyday social life of the town and its surrounding rural community.
News from the Lazy Wall: Bringing the Tradition into the Present
Lee Regan and Niamh McGarry. Lazy Wall Post Outpost at Ballahaderreen’s Men’s Shed.
Inspired by this history, News from the Lazy Wall invited people in Ballaghaderreen to revisit the tradition of gathering, storytelling and sharing news, and to consider what a Lazy Wall might mean in contemporary community life.
For three weeks during September and October 2026, five Lazy Wall Outposts were established around the town, hosted by the Ozanam Centre, Family Resource Centre, Men's Shed, The Shambles and Ballaghaderreen Library.
People were invited to post a story, a memory, community news or something that had inspired them.
Our Lazy Wall Posties collected contributions ranging from personal recollections and local histories to poetry, songs, drawings, reflections and a recipe.
Together, these offered glimpses into the experiences, memories and creative lives of people within the community.
‘Our Lazy Wall Outposts’: Anita at The Shambles, Gerard and Maria at Ballagh Library.
A Community Gathering
The project culminated in a public gathering at The Shambles on Saturday 17 October 2026.
We began with a heritage walk to the former creamery and the Plots, visiting some of the places that inspired the project and exploring their connections to the town's past.
Back at The Shambles, contributions were shared through conversation, poetry, music, photographs and artwork.
The Lazy Wall Gathering
Among the contributions was an original song by Lee Regan of Diaspora, inspired by his Aunty Katie, which he performed at the gathering.
Aunty Katie
Over tea, the stories collected through the Outposts prompted further recollections, conversations and exchanges among those gathered.
The afternoon also included a raffle, with prizes generously donated by three local businesses: McLoughlin's, Durkin's and SuperValu. Their generosity was part of the wider support and goodwill that made the project possible.
Antonio Anjos at The Lazy Wall Gathering
A Living Archive
News from the Lazy Wall has created a small but meaningful record of life in Ballaghaderreen today, shaped by the voices, memories and creative contributions of local people.
The project also opens up possibilities for thinking about the role of shared public spaces in contemporary community life.
Places such as the old Lazy Wall acquired their significance through everyday encounters, conversations and relationships. Their histories remind us that a sense of belonging grows through the many small exchanges that take place when people come together.
Through this project, an old tradition has found a new expression, connecting the town's past with the experiences and voices of its community today.
Below: A selection of our community contributions to the Lazy Wall Outpost
Calvin Urguhart shares his story: ‘My Favourite Tree’.
A Poem, by Carol Beirne
Edel Gallagher’s story about her uncle Frank:
Barbara’s Recipe – Download
Gluten Free, Black Molasses & Almond Bread
We would like to thank the person who wrote to us about the Ballagh mural project, which commemorated the abolition of corporal punishment in 1982.
The letter included recollections of abuse and corporal punishment at the former Brothers’ School and the distress these experiences caused. Some people may find this upsetting, particularly those with similar experiences. Please take care when reading or viewing the download, and pause or step away whenever you need to.
Due to not being able to gain consent from some people mentioned in the letter, the below download only provides a short extract.
A little bit more history:
Cooperation and everyday life in the 1930s
The creamery was a place of work, but it also played an important role in the social and economic life of the surrounding countryside.
Stories from the 1930s recall how neighbouring farmers organised themselves into groups of six, taking turns to deliver one another's milk. This arrangement reduced the daily journey to the creamery to once a week for each farmer. On the seventh day, the farmers' wives churned milk at home, ensuring their households had supplies for the week ahead.
These arrangements offer a glimpse into a rural way of life built around cooperation, shared responsibility and mutual reliance.
The Lazy Wall also witnessed small but significant moments in people's lives.
One remembered tradition involved a young lad demonstrating his passage towards adulthood by lifting a heavy milk can. Such informal rituals, alongside the conversations, laughter and news exchanged at the wall, reveal something of the social world that grew around the creamery.
As Ireland's dairy industry changed, many local creameries gradually disappeared or lost their former role. Yet the stories associated with them remain part of the social memory of towns and villages across the country.
Do you have a memory or story to share about Ballaghaderreen's old creamery or the Lazy Wall?
We would love to hear from you. Email: anna7king@gmail.com
The original creamery was located at the back of St. Mary’s Hall, opposite the Cathedral. A new larger facility was built in 1908 (now Circular Road). Photo: Ref. 1.
Ref 1. Ballaghaderreen Past & Present Facebook Page.
Ref. 2: History Blog - Kathleen Roddy Glynn.
This project builds on Anna’s heritage walks developed during her 2024 Creative Places Ballaghaderreen artist-research residency: PlaceWays.
