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Minister Humphreys launches Hands Together 2 You Tube videos at the Garage Theatre, Monaghan

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, is this evening (Thursday) launching a series of YouTube videos at the Garage Theatre in Monaghan. The videos have been produced by three local groups as part of the Hands Together 2 Project, which aims to bring people from different communities together through arts and heritage programmes.

Monaghan Community Forum received €300,000 for the Hands Together 2 Project as part of Monaghan County Council’s Peace Action Plan, which is funded under Peace III, the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 2007-2013.

Three groups – Monaghan Poets and Song Writers’ Group, Lough Neagh Writers’ Group and Burnavon Writers’ Group – put the videos together with the help of Cara Holmes, who was chosen to take on the task of producing the 10 short pieces.

Speaking at the event in the Garage Theatre in Monaghan, Minister Humphreys said: ‘I would like to commend the three local groups in Monaghan, Lurgan and Cookstown, who have put a lot of time and effort into creating these insightful videos’.

“The videos include moving and hugely personal accounts of how the three communities have been affected by times of conflict, and how they are moving forward to a peaceful future. As a local TD, I was particularly struck by the footage and photos from the Monaghan bombing 40 years ago.

“The videos depict a real sense of community, through the individual stories and heartfelt accounts of those involved. They also demonstrate how, by working together, we can tackle issues such as religion and cultural diversity in a positive and constructive way.

“Through the Hands Together 2 Project more than 3,000 people have attended workshops, programmes of activities and training events. It has also led to the establishment of an arts and heritage network, which I hope will continue to flourish as the Project draws to a close.”