“Handled with Care” Project

Transforming the University Maternity Hospital Cafeteria

Welcome to “Handled with Care,” a community-driven art project designed to bring life, color, and inspiration to the University Maternity Hospital cafeteria in Limerick. This project invites 100 local artists to collaborate on a unique mosaic installation, transforming the cafeteria into a vibrant, welcoming space for staff, patients, and visitors alike.

About the project:

At its heart, “Handled with Care” is about connection, creativity, and community. Each artist contributed a small canvas, creating a mosaic that reflected the collective vision of those who use the cafeteria daily. Through a survey, hospital staff and patients helped choose the subject and dominant color scheme of the artwork, ensuring it resonates deeply with its audience. This initiative was inspired by personal experiences within the hospital and successfully uplifted the space without adding financial strain to the facility. Funding was secured from Creative Ireland to bring this vision to life.

This project is more than an art installation—it’s a testament to the power of community and creativity to transform spaces. By involving local artists and giving staff and patients a voice in the design, “Handled with Care” ensures that the cafeteria becomes a true reflection of those who use it most.

Artists and their Canvases:

Each canvas is part of a column and row system for easy identification.

Columns are numbered from 1 to 20 (left to right).
Rows are labeled from A to E (top to bottom).
The placement of each artist’s work is represented as Row-Column (e.g., C7 for 3rd Row and 7th Column).

Identifier	Artist	Canvas
A1	Iosa McGarvey	canvas
A2	Fiona Ladden Loughlin	Summer
A3	Helena McGarvey	Cherry Blossom
A4	Didi Delaney	canvas
A5	Jenny Crushell	Gliondar Croí (Great Joy)
A6	Laura Dunne	Whimsical
A7	Caroline Gleeson	Bee Orchid
A8	Mary Mullins	Wild Flowers
A9	Caroline Brady	Hibiscus
A10	Aisling Brennan	canvas
A11	Kerry Norton	canvas
A12	Margaret O’Brien	Beara
A13	Kieran Irwin	Flowers and Fruit on Oil
A14	Trudi Butler	Flower Power
A15	Vi Bell	Happy, Healing Fields
A16	Laurentiu Serban	Bringing Luck
A17	Trish Taylor Thomson	Golden Sunflower
A18	Dumitru	canvas
A19	Karen Downs	New Beginnings
A20	Trofi	Amalfi Lemons
B1	Sarah Gleeson	canvas
B2	Brendan Keogh	The Blue Rose
B3	Eileen Corcoran	Wild and Free
B4	Mary Mulloy	Cobalt Bloom
B5	Roisín O’Donnell	Meadow’s Embrace
B6	Jennifer Donohue	Love and Hope
B7	Veronica Tyrell	Silence
B8	Elaine Leff	Iris
B9	Emily Thomson	Field of Flowers II
B10	Maree Ryan	canvas
B11	Kay O’Donoghue	Dappled
B12	Breda Stack	Copper Castle
B13	Mary Sherlock	canvas
B14	Maura Kennedy	Window on the World
B15	Matteo Mazza	Reaching Out
B16	Cecilia Soria	Blue Flowers
B17	Natalia Cappetto	Clarity
B18	Brenda Ainsworth	Aitinn (Autumn)
B19	Elisabeth Swan (Kuehling)	Gifts of Nature
B20	Maeve Tynan	canvas
C1	Jacinta Glasgow	Spring Hope
C2	Alessandra Coppola	Purple Reverie
C3	Alison Barry	Little Hare in the Wild Flowers
C4	Lorraine Lynch	One Stroke at a Time
C5	Sarah Arif Shah	Home is a Feeling
C6	Grace O’Brien	Bursting with Life
C7	Clia Clancy	canvas
C8	Sowparnika	Seeds of Peace
C9	Edwina Knight	Through the Lens
C10	Carol Ahern	The Words of Flowers
C11	Ruth Riordan	Dancing in the Breeze
C12	Liz Collins	Rose of Joy
C13	Freya Porrittwessman	Creatures in the Meadow
C14	Lynn Kirkham	Burst
C15	Maria Patskova	Wallflower
C16	Miriam Bhandar	Whispers of Spring
C17	Karina Guseva	Inspiration
C18	Kathy Tiernan	Friends for the Long Road
C19	Aisling O’ Connell	Chomh Saothrach leis an Beach (as Busy as a Bee)
C20	Sandra Griffin	canvas
D1	Nadia Ojugbana	canvas
D2	Sheila O’Connell	Yarns of Life
D3	Harley Cubberley	canvas
D4	Emma O’Connor – Bray	Wildflowers
D5	Anna Kirby	Kirby Hughes Babies
D6	Mary McGillicuddy	Pink Pleasure
D7	Maurice O’Brien	Sunflower
D8	Giulia Coli	Foxgloves
D9	Danica Farran	Flowers
D10	Charlotte Strachan	Baby’s Breath
D11	Shirley Mcloughney	Blossom in Bloom
D12	Úna Heaton	Nature at its Best
D13	Ann Carroll	canvas
D14	Melissa Ryan	Australian Native Warath
D15	Ellen Susan Igoe	Greens
D16	Susan Leonard	Spring Sunshine
D17	Chen Yu Wang	Over The Hills of Heather
D18	Nici Le Gear	Golden Whispers of Spring
D19	Joanna Gammell	Dusk at Gurteen Bay
D20	Niamh Griffin	Flower’s in Stripes
E1	Elizabeth Browne	Forget-Me-Not
E2	Mairead Kiely	The Chase
E3	Julie Byrne	Sweet Donkey
E4	Ber Early	Dancing Daffies
E5	Helene Moran	A Gentle Breeze
E6	Holly Cowman	Buzzing
E7	Alan Leff	Strelitzia
E8	Lorraine Fletcher	Amidst the Flowers
E9	Dana Sorokina	Nurturing Blooms
E10	Susan Cronin	canvas
E11	Eileen O’Sullivan	canvas
E12	Michelle Dempsey	Bláithín Dóchas (Flower of Hope)
E13	Brigid O Shea	Speedwell
E14	Sheila Stapleton	The Meadow
E15	Olena Shulhina	Mystery of the Lily Flower
E16	Rio Maria McGonigle	Tuismitheoiri
E17	Anne Murray Browne	Josephine
E18	Kath Leen D’Arcy	canvas
E19	Jay Kupiec	The Sound of June
E20	Jean Anne McNamara	canvas

Press Release about the Project:

“Building community through the power of art is the focus of a powerful new collaboration at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick.

“Handled with Care” is a gathering of 100 artists from across the Mid-West with a focus on family, shared experiences and support.The idea for the project came to Italian-born artist, Giulia Coli, after she gave birth to her daughter Maeve and a deep need for connection with other parents emerged.

“The idea for Handled with Care was born alongside my daughter, Maeve. During my own stay at the hospital, I realized how much a visually engaging, complex artwork could help both staff and patients—offering them a moment of reflection, distraction, and appreciation for art”

she explained.

Now living in Patrickswell, Giulia is an active member of the local Limerick art scene and knew the power and strength that thrived within the community.

“I didn’t want to do this alone. I know so many mothers who have given birth at this hospital, and I felt that a community project would be the best way to give something back, I conceived and led this project with the invaluable support of Eimear Laffan and Maria Quirke, who secured funding and trusted me to bring this vision to life.”

Eimear Laffan is the Healthy Ireland Project Manager, HSE Midwest Acute Service and Maria Quirke is the Operational Services General Manager Acute Hospitals Mid-West.

“Art has an unparalleled ability to connect us, providing solace and strength in times of uncertainty. This project embodies the spirit of community and collaboration, showcasing how creativity can illuminate our shared experiences and foster a greater sense of support.” – Eimear Laffan, Healthy Ireland Project Manager, HSE Midwest Acute Service.

The collaboration brings artists from the former Art Limerick group, Art Collective Club, Tralee Art Group, Nenagh Art Collective and photographers from the Limerick Camera Club together with other artists from across the country.The exhibition will be officially opened on March 25th at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick.

The opening will be invite-only due to health and safety protocols however members of the public can view the exhibition at the hospital’s shop. A QR code will be provided, allowing visitors to access information about each painting and its artist.