‘Grannies for Gaza’ blanket displayed in Laois

Over 40 volunteers gathered in Laois in a moving act of ‘craftivism’ to highlight the ongoing devastation in Gaza on Friday.

The centrepiece of the gathering at St Peter and Paul’s Church in Portlaoise was the “Grannies for Gaza” blanket, a 40-metre-long handmade crochet and knitted installation. Created by Dublin-based craftivist group Kro_Shay_Away and their team of volunteers, the blanket is composed of thousands of individual granny squares. Each square represents ten children’s lives lost in Gaza. The blanket stood as a powerful and sobering visual reminder of the scale of innocent lives cut short.

Despite overcast skies, the rain held off, allowing the blanket to be unfurled in its full length. The sight stopped passers-by in their tracks, sparking reflection and conversation on the human cost of the ongoing violence.

The event was organised by Laois IPSC (Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign) as part of their continuing efforts to raise awareness locally and nationally about the crisis in Palestine.

Speaking after the event, Organisers emphasised the importance of art and collective action in shining a light on injustices too often ignored.

“Unfortunately, this project is a work in progress as Israel kills a classroom size of children each day in Palestine. Ireland must ensure that it is not complicit in this genocide by enacting the Occupied Territories Bill, removing all mutations planes from Irish airspace/airports, as well as maintaining the Triple lock,” Organiser said. 

They added that  “Kro Shay Away are always looking for crafters who can donate more squares to be added to the blanket, contact them for details on this”. 

For information on upcoming events, Laois IPSC can be contacted via Instagram or by email at info@ipsclaois.ie.