The forest that won’t forget
(2024 to present)

The forest that won’t forget is a national public artwork, and place of remembrance and gathering, dedicated to the women and families across Ireland affected by the failures of the CervicalCheck programme. This living breathing anti-monument, publicly acknowledges a major historic injustice in women’s healthcare.

The forest that won’t forget is an ecologically rich 16-acre site located in Co. Clare. It functions as a physical and metaphorical place of unity, care and resistance. It is a place which recognises the truth and experiences of those affected, and commits to never forgetting. It is a place for current and future generations. A place for remembering the past. A place for imagining the future. A place with an eternal legacy that will outlive us all.

The forest that won’t forget is a collaboration between artists Fiona Whelan and John Conway, and the 221+ Patient Support Group, in partnership with nature restoration charity Hometree. The collaboration began in 2021 when the artists were commissioned by 221+ to lead a nationwide art project to respond to the complex lived experiences of women and families unjustly failed by the HSE’s CervicalCheck Screening Programme.

The early stage of this collaboration received financial support from the Arts Council and 221+. The forest project has developed with the support of donations, which are managed by Hometree - a registered charity.

To donate, see https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/theforestthatwontforget 

For further information on this project, see www.theforestthatwontforget.ie