Those of you that know me will know that it's my dream to design a stamp for An Post! So when they announced the Saorstát Éireann stamp competition for the centenary of the Irish State in 2022, I was very excited! Unfortunately my design was not the winner, but it did make the short list and for that I am proud. Lots of thought and research went into this piece. First is the colours, I used many shades of our national colour green in this piece. In the background you can see mountains (based on Carrauntoohill) and forest representing Ireland's natural beauty. The Four Courts appear to represent the civil war that lead to our free state. Derry's Peace Bridge appears to signify the importance of peace in the north going forward. Windmills appear to ensure that we address the world's biggest threat -climate change. The woman wears a lunula, which represents the importance of the arts. Finally the woman, Ireland has often been represented by the goddess Eriu, this is seen in past An Post stamps, and applies here too. She holds out a welcoming hand to people from around the world and holds her belly pregnant with future Irish generations. But there is also a deeper meaning. Eriu also represents the treatment of women in the first 100 years of our free state, particularly unmarried mothers. She addresses our shameful history and encourages us to bring women front and centre in building a better Ireland. Our first 100 years have taught us a lot, many mistakes were made, tragedies enabled and covered up. There is still a lot of healing to do. One unique giclee print was created of this design, it was sold to Business to Arts.