Grief of the Seventh Child - Sarah McKenna Dunne

This documentary focuses on who healers are in modern Ireland and whether cures are being passed on to future generations. By focusing on the legacy of cures, it looks at how the loss of
the tradition could change our sense of heritage and identity as we sever the connection to our ancestors. Each healer spoke openly about how, when they practice their cure, they remember the loved one who passed it onto them, reflecting the relationship between the tradition and legacy. The stories of people, will give an insight into a practice that may would not have been privy to.

Grief of the Seventh Child will give new audiences the opportunity to learn, experience, and appreciate the cultural memory of rural communities, who can very much identify with the practice of healers and who can reflect on how time has affected this tradition.

The documentary also looks at cures in the landscape in Cavan, through place names, holy wells, holy graves, and sweat houses. The stories of these places, as emphasised by Creative
Cavan’s strategy, allow us to engage deeper with our natural environment and understand the origin of place names which have been lost in translation. We can understand how our ancestors used the land around them, stirring a sense of pride and urgency to protect our landscapes for future generations to engage with.

This project is funded by Creative Ireland and Cavan County Council through Creative Cavan and is still in production stage.                                                                   

It is hoped to be complete and showcased early summer 2024.

You can check out progress on this project at Grief of the Seventh Child.