Ally Nolan has been named winner of the 2025 RCSI Art Award for her piece ‘The Men/ Na Fir'. Now in its 10th year, the RCSI Art Award, in association with the RHA and The Irish Times, recognises the link between art, medicine and well-being.

Ally Nolan’s artwork combines traditional craft with contemporary textile technologies, examining how textiles are influenced by cultural identity, community and place. Her piece ‘The Men/Na Fir’, reimagines a historical photograph from the National Museum of Ireland to honour Ireland’s rich textile heritage and the connection between craft, labour and cultural identity.

As part of the award, Nolan will receive the RCSI Silver Medal as well as €5,000 to progress her practice and a commission to the value of €10,000 to create a new work for the RCSI Art Collection.

The Carlow artist and designer graduated with a BA in Fashion Design and Art History from the National College of Art and Design before going on to complete a masters degree in Irish Art History at Trinity College Dublin. Her work mainly consists of pieces that celebrate the tradition of textile labour and are centred around storytelling, heritage and community. She places particular focus on the influence of women in textile work, who’s contribution to the craft have been historically overlooked.

Nolan's art studio in Carlow also serves as a classroom, where she gives sewing and design workshops. She works closely with the Borris Lacemakers to help preserve the tradition of lace making in her local community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she participated in the ‘Borris Lace by Post’ initiative. This was a COVID outreach art project that involved sending monthly lace-making kits to older people, enabling them to stay connected and creative throughout the lockdown.

Out of the 562 works on display at the 195th RHA Annual Exhibition, five pieces, including Nolan's, were shortlisted for the RCSI Art Award. These pieces were 'Bedlam' by Taffina Flood, 'No Promised Land' by Bernadette Kiely, 'Slope' by Vera Klute and 'With Tomorrow' by Francis O’Toole. All works of art, in any medium, selected for the annual exhibition were considered for the RCSI Art Award.

Ally Nolan commented on the award saying; “I feel very privileged to receive this award and really appreciate the meaningful support from the RCSI, the RHA, and The Irish Times. As an artist, all I want is to keep making my work, and I’m grateful that this award will give me the opportunity to do so. I’m looking forward to creating the commission for the RCSI collection, and I’m excited to research and explore the themes of art, healing, and care.”

Art and healing

Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI Vice Chancellor, said: “Each year, the RCSI Art Award reminds us of the profound relationship between art and healing. Art reflects the diversity of our society, capturing both shared experiences and individual perspectives to help us understand and empathise with each other.

“I am delighted to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Ally Nolan as the winner of the 2025 RCSI Art Award. Her recognition of the impact that art and creativity have on wellbeing is evident through her work with the ‘Borris Lace by Post’ programme, a wonderful example of how art can benefit human health. Ally’s unique artistic style, rooted in history and tradition, offers a distinctive lens through which she can explore the connection between the arts, health and wellbeing. I look forward to seeing what she creates as her contribution to the RCSI Art Collection.”

The 2025 RCSI Art Award Selection Committee comprises: Professor Deborah McNamara, President, RCSI; Dr Abigail O'Brien, President, RHA; Patrick T. Murphy, Director, RHA; Deirdre Falvey, Features and Arts Writer, The Irish Times; Dr Abdul Bulbulia, RCSI Alumnus and founder of Waterford Healing Arts; Claire Meaney, Director, Réalta and Waterford Healing Arts Programme; Aíne Gibbons, Director of Development, Alumni Relations, Fellows & Members, RCSI; Professor Clive Lee, Professor of Anatomy, RCSI and RHA; Louise Loughran, Chief Communications Officer, RCSI; Liz Hughes, Head of EDI Unit, RCSI; and Dr Michael Daly, Senior Lecturer, RCSI.

The RHA Annual Exhibition is open to the public until 3 August 2025. Further information on the RHA Annual Exhibition can be found here.

Or learn more about arts and cultural heritage at RCSI here.