This week the infamous Aughakillymaude Mummers finally took delivery of their latest mumming sculpture that now completes the unique life sized mumming character display at the newly extended Aughakillymaude Mummers Centre "beyond the Lough" near Knockninny Quay.

All told, 17 models were commissioned over a period of three years from Enniskillen's Gordon Johnson who is widely regarded as one of Ireland's most creative and expert sculptors and, whose countless works have found homes in many prominent museum displays throughout Ireland.

The relatively new display of mumming models at Aughakillymaude aptly reflects the most popular mumming characters that are used in mumming plays throughout rural Ireland. "Characters such as Prince George, Jack Straw, Cromwell, Captain Mummer, The Doctor and The Wren are all featured in such minute detail that they automatically command your undivided attention" according to Jim Ledwith, Programmes Manager at the centre. He continued, "believe me when I say this, that painstaking discussions and detail has gone into the crafting of each mumming model from the most holy of holies, St Patrick down to the most downright ugly, "Biddy Funny"! All the while, Gordon was as enthusiastic as us lot and this is shown in the perfectionism and masterful craftsmanship in his models".

Present at the public revealing of the last of the 17 models this week was Stephen Huggett from the Board of the Rural Development Council who praised Aughakillymaude's pioneering work being carried out to stage the first ever permanent exhibition devoted to the ancient mumming traditions in Ireland. "This mumming display set within the building context of a country house with a half loft has no parallels in either England or Ireland. The mumming display here at Aughakillymaude is pure genius and will undoubtedly attract many cultural tourists from all over the world when the centre officially opens in 2007. For the Rural Development Council and its grant aid of European Union Peace monies under its Culture, Identity and Heritage programme to this project it has certainly been a most productive and innovative use of our monies" he said.

The next stage in the exhibition process is that each model will now be brought to life by means of an audio visual system whereby visitors will hear the full nonsensical mumming rhyme for each mumming character on display. At present, the Aughakillymaude mummers are in rehearsals, recording the precise rhyme for each model in their strong West Fermanagh dialects.

From Jim Ledwith's research on numerous mumming scripts it has also become clear that no one mumming troupe uses the exact same rhyme for each mumming character.

For this week's public revealing of Prince Patrick, the last of the life sized sculptures, Dessie Reilly who acts as Prince Patrick in the Aughakillymaude mummers play also dressed up in the Irish heroes knightly garb to be compared and judged by the Fermanagh public as to who is the most beautiful and daring!

According to Dessie, Gordon's three year contribution to the mumming sculpture exhibition will be his permanent legacy to mumming for all to enjoy and marvel at. "Gordon's eye for detail on Prince Patrick is really something to behold! Just look at the detailed Celtic designs, the medieval body armour, the plaited hair and the fulsome bulging arms with protruding muscles and veins. You wouldn't or couldn't get the like of it anywhere else," Dessie concluded.

Interview with Gordon Johnson on his 'final' life size model on page 6.