Cillian hopes to inspire with his colourful costumes & creations
HIS colourful costume designs are part of Tubbercurry’s Old Fair Day every single year, and Cillian Rogers says he uses the day as an opportunity to inspire young people.
At last Wednesday’s Old Fair Day, Cillian brought an array of different costumes, with young children looking on in awe of what they were seeing.
Based in Dromore West, he can spend weeks putting together various ‘personas’ as he calls them, in the hope of bringing them along to various shows and arts festivals that take place around the country.
“I started off by making sculptures,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“I like making puppets. I’m the guy who made the puppet of WB Yeats,” he added.
He calls himself a ‘shape-shifter’ as he transforms himself throughout the day.
“I come here every year. I started with the Sligo Arts Festival.”
Dressed up with his golden goose when speaking to The Champion, Cillian said he was only getting started for the day.
“You never know, the golden goose might lay a golden egg at some stage.”
He is hoping that he can excite young people.
“The idea is to inspire children and to blow their minds.
“I want them to get a glimpse into carnival and how fun and colourful it can be.
Inspired by carnivals, Cillian said when he started out he was unaware of the popularity of carnival and the theme itself.
“I work all over the country. I go north an awful lot to carnivals and festivals
“Some of my best friends are clowns,” he said. “I am a type of clown too I guess.”
He can spend weeks putting together costumes, and calls in his family for help.
“Me and my family usually put together these costumes. It takes as long as it takes. For example, the Yeats puppet took nine weeks with two of us.
“Each creation is like an experiment for me of some description.
“They are all like giant toys for me. I just love it.”
Cillian wasn’t the only one there last Wednesday who clearly took his inspiration from carnival.
Also present on the day were a couple of stilt walkers who wowed the children attending the Old Fair Day.
Sligo’s own puppeteer and actor Eugene Lambert was always an inspiration for Cillian who idolized him as a child.
“I was always interested in puppetry and I got to see the great Eugene Lambery when I was six so I have been really interested in it ever since then. I just want to inspire.”