Last September, Croom Community Development Association (CCDA) invited Coláiste Chiaráin Secondary School and St Mary's National School to participate in the Croom Community Arts Festival. Central to the festival, which was launched this Monday night, is the exhibition, All That Flows Free, which features a street gallery and a display in Croom Mills completed by the students.

In consultation with the CCDA, the street gallery was designed by Coláiste Chiaráin's art teacher Michael Delohery.

Thirty wooden panels were prepared and treated for display outdoors. The artwork on these panels was inspired by artists such as Van Gogh, Jim Fitzpatrick, Vermeer and Degas.

"We started work on it last September, raising funds for the equipment," Mr Delohery explained. "I am very happy with the result and I think people will agree when they see the exhibition."

Students from all years at Coláiste Chiaráin, except exam years, and with 29 sixth class students from the primary school took part in the project.

"It's great fun and it's really cool to see your work being exhibited," said 17-year-old Rachael McCabe a fifth-year student at Coláiste Chiaráin.

For the past few weeks, artwork done by fourth year students for the Junior Cert 2009 has been exhibited in the central area of the school where people have been experiencing the vibrancy, colour and creativity of the art work, which includes paintings, drawings, graphics, clay, plaster, wood and metal.

Other works of art are being displayed in the widows of vacant buildings in the village in a bid to improve the visual environment in Croom.

And from this Monday, to coincide with the art festival's launch, more works of art are on display, thanks to Plunkett Hayes, in Croom Mills.