Cavan Arts and Townhall Arts Centre present:

The Good Room

An Exhibition by Bernadette Doolan

Townhall Gallery, Cavan

Official Opening: Saturday 15th June 2pm to 4pm

Exhibition runs Saturday 15th June to Saturday 27th July 2024
Open 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 4pm Saturday
Or by appointment

The award-winning Wexford-based artist Bernadette Doolan has a new exhibition ‘The Good Room’ running at Townhall Arts Centre, Cavan.

Bernadette Doolan’s work explores the fragility of the human condition primarily through depicting aspects of childhood.

From the 1950’s to about the 1980’s, there was an Irish phenomenon known as ‘The good room’. A room, usually in the front of the house, sometimes known as the parlour (some even called it the dining room yet never dined in it), a sacred space that was kept for special occasions and was only for visitors. Certainly not a room for children. A room presented with the best furniture, china and ornaments that would somehow portray that this is how one lives. If that was the case, there would be no ‘good room’.  The only function of this room was to put the best foot forward, to show a good side, to perhaps trick the visitor that you were better off than you were. Such visitors would usually be for example, number one, the local priest, then other senior revered members in the community, or for a business transaction. It seemed the use of the good room, was in response to those arriving at the door, as opposed those actually being invited.

Growing up in the 70’s we lived in a small house; six children with one living room and a small kitchen. However, when we went visiting for confirmations or communions there would be ‘good rooms’ in most other people’s houses, and as a kid, I really wished we had one. It was a dream, a kind of Disneyland space.  Although somehow despite the envy, it felt as if you inhaled going in and only exhaled on leaving, for fear perhaps of disrupting something, like the air. Later I got to thinking that although we didn’t have a good room, my parents did try their best to present our visitors with the best side of what they had, the best mugs for the tea and the best ‘fancy’ biscuits bought and offered, like the almighty Kimberly.

As an adult I now realise the good room was in fact a very artificial place, yet I wished we had one as a kid. It got me thinking, is the good room not a place within us? How we behave around people, who are we, are we vulnerable, what do we value? Are we performing or showing our true selves? Are we generous to others, as well as ourselves? This realisation of the good room within sits a whole lot better with me. Because it is sacred, we get to choose who we allow in, to our metaphorical good room, as opposed to having to ‘show’ a false side perhaps, a false good room.

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