By Connor Robertson
A colourful fibreglass elephant named ‘Nelly’ created by young people from Bray Travellers Community Development Group, is now on display in Bray’s civic offices as part of the Elephant in the Room initiative.
The project was funded by CYPSC Wicklow and developed in partnership with Signal Arts Centre. Youth and family support groups worked with artists from Signal Arts Centre to design and decorate the sculpture, combining
elements of their cultural identity with messages about mental health and wellbeing.
Jim O’Brien of Bray Travellers Community Development Group spoke of how the project emerged from ongoing youth work within the organisation after receiving funding. “We got a 14-hour week youth worker… Mary Kate Morehouse, and she started building up links with local Travellers , trying to get involved in programmes…Then the topic of mental health came into the equation”.
The group began exploring ways to address the issue in a way that would engage young people directly. “We were looking around at anything that could link us into something that was already there”, he said. “And we’re looking at the elephant, and we’re looking at Brent Pope, and we thought ‘what a way to link it with mental health for Travellers’”. 
Young members of the group were involved at every stage of the process, from developing initial ideas to completing the final artwork. The design incorporates imagery associated with Traveller culture alongside statements reflecting identity and emotional well-being.
Speaking at the launch, youth participant Lexie Moorhouse described the role art played in the process, “sometimes it can be hard to talk about our feelings, but through art we found a way to express them,” she said. “We wanted to show that it’s okay to not be okay and that everyone deserves to be here and understood and supported”. Lexie spoke about the importance of representing Traveller identity within the piece. “Our culture is an important part of who we are, and we are proud of it”.
O’Brien said that while attitudes towards mental health are changing, stigma still remains an issue within the Traveller community. “When we were growing up, it was a closed shop”, he said. “Now more and more Travellers are not ashamed to talk about their problems in mental health, their problems in addiction”.
However, he also emphasised the seriousness of the issue, “The statistics in the travelling community nationwide are horrific at the minute”, he said. “And we’re all about changing them”.
Encouraging earlier and more open conversations is central to that effort. “Sometimes it’s too late if you don’t open up”, he said. “We want to make this big call, it’s okay to talk”.
The sculpture was first presented during Culture Night 2025, where it received a great response. “Everyone’s seen Nelly the Elephant…the social media went really crazy…Everyone was tagging it, positively”, O’Brien said. “There was no negatives surrounding it”. At the launch, Christina McIlveen was acknowledged for her role as a key figure in supporting and developing the project alongside the youth group and staff team.
Melanie Corrigan, Leas Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, said the initiative highlights the importance of creating space for conversations around mental health. “The symbolism is striking. The elephant in the room represents conversations which we may find difficult, but which are absolutely essential”, she said. “Mental health affects us all”. She added that projects like this can help break down stigma and encourage understanding across communities, particularly where people face barriers to accessing support.
O’Brien said the decision to place the work in a civic building was significant in the context of past relationships between Travellers and local authorities. “In the past, there was a line between Travellers and the settled community”, he said. “We’ve overcome that now in Bray…I’m not saying that we’re special, it took hard work, honesty and respect. It works both ways, it’s a two-way street”.
He said there was a clear intention not to keep the work hidden. “We didn’t want to hide it away in a room”, he said. “We want the public to see this”. O’Brien said the project reflects wider changes in how Traveller organisations and local services are now working together. “When I started out, the landscape was that Travellers do not work with the settled community”, he said. “Now I’m hearing people say, we want to work together in solving the problems”.
The shift was visible in the support shown at the launch, with councillors, officials and community members in attendance. “I couldn’t be prouder. Standing here today… seeing what’s been achieved”. Brent Pope, Co-Founder of the Elephant in the Room initiative, spoke about the importance of sharing experiences and reaching out for support. “The way I see it, everybody has an elephant”, he said. “All I ask is that if you get to that place, that you talk to someone”.
For Bray Travellers Community Development Group, the project is intended to support ongoing conversations around mental health, particularly among younger members of the community. “It’s their work”, O’Brien said.
“They’re the ones who brought this together”. By placing the sculpture in a public setting, the group aims to encourage wider engagement with the message behind it. “As I said”, he added, “it’s about making that call, it’s okay to talk”. Nelly is now being displayed in Bray’s civic offices for a three-month period, with support from local councillors and council officials. After the three months, Nelly will be moving on to other public locations, businesses and community spaces.
A special thanks from Jim O’Brien to everyone involved in bringing the project together. “I want to thank again all of our youth group led by Mary Kate Morehouse”. “I’d also like to thank Christina, our Education Officer. I’d like
to thank all of the staff in support of this initiative within Bray Travellers Community Development Group, and everyone who came out here today to support it. In particular, I want to acknowledge the local councillors, and the funders as well, CYPSC and Fionnula Curry, for making this possible”.
