Super Gairdín (2022)
16:9 video, 24:29 duration.
Screened at: 'Tulca Festival' (2024), Galway, ‘Remembering the Future’, Visual, Carlow (2023), ‘Twenty One’, Mermaid arts centre, Bray (2023), ‘Home Cinema & WYSIWYG’ Laak, The Hague (2023), 'Pallas Projects' (2022), Dublin

Super Gairdín is a video work by artists Cóilín O’Connell and Michelle Doyle about divine spirits, landscape, language and nature. Taking cues from the folk horror tradition, the film is set in a desolate garden centre, a space where landscape is held indefinitely. A figure wanders the aisles of saplings, chancing upon a long forgotten rock deity; the Cailleach. The Cailleach is capable of great forces, summoning nature at will and throwing rocks from her apron. She contemplates the various narratives that surround her existence in lore and the difficulty of translating her powers into Béarla. She views mankind with hatred and will soon enact her revenge.

Is fís-shaothar é Super Gairdín le beirt ealaíntóirí, Cóilín O’Connell agus Michelle Doyle a bhaineann le spioraid dhiaga, tírdhreach, le teanga agus le nádúr. Ag tógáil ar an tradisiún uafáis sa bhéaloideas, tá an scannán suite in ionad gairdín iargulta áit ina bhfuil athrú ar bith ar an tírdhreach go deo na ndeor. Tá duine ag spastóireacht tríd na pásaistí de chrainnte óga nuair a chasann sé ar bhandia clocha a ndearnadh dearmad uirthi le fada an lá- an Chaillleach. Tá sé de bhua aici láidreacht an nádúir a chur ar a toil agus carraigeacha a chaitheamh as a naprún. Déanann sí machnamh ar na scéalta a cumadh fúithí sa seanchas agus an deacracht a bhaineann lena cuid cumhachtaí a chur in iúl trí mhéan an Bhéarla. Caitheann sí súil nimhneach ar an gcine daonna agus ní fada nó go mbainfidh sí díoltas amach air.

The film combines original and found footage with DIY animations, and is soundtracked by a blood curdling composition by Jennnifer Moore. Borrowing from a wide range of sources, the script collages from material including 7th century laments, the writings of revolutionary Irish poet Padraig Pearse and agricultuiral TV show Ear to the Ground. In Irish folklore the Cailleach has been used as a proxy for the landscape. All the while, contemporary Ireland is one of the least biodiverse places in Europe and the Irish language (the primary medium of Irish folklore) has declined in use under the watch of an indifferent nation state. After generations of ill treatment the Cailleach of Super Gairdín is dismissive of her conflation with Ireland's national identity and is vexed with her ill treatment, she seeks retribution on an ignorant protagonist.