Storied Space: A Visit to X-PO in Kilnaboy

Looking for ideas of how historic spaces can be repurposed?

On Friday, March 9, Liam O’Riain’s own Last Friday musicians headed north to Kilnaboy to share their music at X-PO. The welcome from the Kilnaboy crowd was warm, and the night was rich with free-flowing, gorgeous music.

Other than the musicians, the star of the night was the actual location. Once a post office, this space is now used for artists, film screenings, heritage talks, Irish language lessons, and musical gigs. But as vitally important as any event here is the space itself: you can almost feel the stories in the walls, windows, beams, stones. Forgoing renovations that wipe out the character of the place, this building celebrates the age of the place, the post-master that once lived there, and – with small details like the old stove, retro magazines, and faded St Brigid crosses – the beauty of small tangibilities from previous decades. It’s the perfect space for creative, interesting events and endeavours.

On one wall, behind the old ivory stove, is a large drawing of Mattie Rynne, the post-master who lived and worked at the post office for many decades, retiring in 1983. Though known to be a private man, Mattie was an avid listener on the short-range radio and learned several languages. When the artist Deirdre O’Mahony started X-PO in 2007, there were still ashes in the stove; she took these and drew on the wall Mattie’s face from a photograph. It’s a breath-taking homage, and again – it makes the space ripe for intertwining the old with the new. People once came for post; now they come for music and words. Both iterations of this space give such important things for living life.

X-PO is a great example of how old spaces can be made alive in the community. One can see how spaces danger of being empty and useless may be ripe for providing an interesting and lively place for creative work and local gatherings. The artistic slant of preservation means that major re-hauls aren’t necessary – and in fact, supply a storied space you couldn’t find the like anywhere else.

Jessica Brown, committee member.