“Righter of Wrongs no.2” watercolour, 2019 It seems like it’s been raining for forty days and forty nights (and I pity the poor vegetable growers) but the inclement weather has also affected our group exhibition: “What do we want?” at the Olivier Cornet Gallery.  Our guest speaker Frances Black couldn’t make it because she was left marooned on Rathlin Island, off the coast of Antrim. But what do you think she did?  She got her sister, the reknowned folk singer Mary Black, to open the show instead!  Of course we were concerned for Frances but we were very grateful to Mary for ste ..read more

Wasn’t it the Native Americans who first coined the phrase:  “White man speak with forked tongue” and by dad, they were not wrong then and they’re still not wrong. From the Washington Post on the 29th of March:  “The Biden administration in recent days quietly authorized the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets…”  About 2.5 billion’s worth, I believe.  Let’s see now, the new arms package includes more than 1,800 MK84 2,000lb bombs and 500 MK82 500lb bombs, according to Pentagon and State Department officials familiar with the matter. Those 2,000lb bomb ..read more

Did you know how they decide on the date for Easter?  You probably did but I’ll tell you anyway.  It’s the first Sunday after the full moon after the Equinox – and last week was the Equinox.  This week, on the Monday just gone, the moon was full so… ipso facto – Easter Sunday is next Sunday. Oh, if only everything was so simple. Here’s a quote for you from Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations:  “Peace is needed today more than ever.  War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from th ..read more

Yesterday, the 20th of March was the Spring equinox, when day and night were the same length.  I didn’t manage it this year, but the place to be for the equinox is Loughcrew in Co. Meath. Like Newgrange at the Winter solstice, during the equinox, the back stone in Cairn T at Loughcrew is illuminated by the first rays of the rising sun.  And there are about 30 passage tombs up there in the hills above Oldcastle, some of them decorated with extra special examples of megalithic art. Ahem, I haven’t managed to get there before sunrise yet – but I was there for the sunset last year – a ..read more

Famine memorial Cross at Doolough, Co. Mayo Yes, it’s Seachtain na Gaeilge/Irish Language Week until St Patrick’s Day – but you can scroll down to read the English language text below I rith an Ghorta Mhóir,  fuair ​​milliún duine bás agus b’éigean do breis agus milliún eile dhul ar imirce – mar is eol do gach pháiste scoile in Éirinn.  Ag an am céanna, de bharr an pholasaí laissez faire a bhí ag Rialtas Shasana, leanadh le easpórtáil na tonnaí gráin agus beostoic, amach as an tír, in ionad an bia a úsáid chun na daoine bochta a chothú.  An Gorta Mór a thug muidne air ach tá go ..read more

It’s Seachtain na Gaeilge/ Irish Language Week  – but you can scroll down to read the English language text below Bhí mé thuas i mBéal Feirste le déanaí agus thug mé an múrmhaisiú seo faoi deara.  “Peace cannot be kept by force”, a deir sé, “it can only be achieved by understanding”.  Tá sé deacair é a léamh anois mar gheall ar an síonmheilt, is dóigh, ach is léir nach bhfuil siad á chaomhnú – agus chuir sé sin mé ag smaoineamh. Bhí mé ar Bhóthair Newtownards in Oirthir na cathrach, áit a bhfuil roinnt mhaith mhúrmhaisiúcháin eile le feiscint, ceann amháin a bhí ag comóradh na s ..read more

Yes indeedy, some people think that watercolour is a slightly insipid medium, that it’s a bit airy fairy, even – but I don’t agree at all.  Maybe it’s because I used to paint in oils and liked strong colours that, when I took up watercolours, I continued to strive for strong colours.  If the watercolour lightened as it dried, I would simply go back over it with another layer (and another layer) until it was deep enough for my liking. And I don’t get to do this often but here’s a quote about me from the Irish Times art critic Aidan Dunne: He switched from using oil paint to watercol ..read more

(Scroll down for the English text) B’é sin tinteán mo shin-sheanmháthair, thuas ar leithinis Fhánada i nGaeltacht Thír Chonaill.  Emily McGloughlin ab ainm di agus ba leathdheirfiúr í le Pádraig Mac Piarais.  Rugadh i mBleá Cliath í ach bhí sí ag obair ar feadh tréimhse mar bhean chabhrach (midwife) thuas i Fánaid. Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi go raibh cónaí uirthi i dteachaín beag deas in ascaill ghleanna, áit eicint in aice le Ros na Cille, in iarthar na leithinise. Nurse McGloughlin Agus bhí an t-ádh linn. D’aimsigh muid an teach gan mórán stró ach faraor, bhí an dian t ..read more

Over 500 pieces of art  – that’s a lot of work – I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised because the Signal Arts Centre in Bray has a huge following – and it’s run by artists to support artists. My, but that building is cold.  It has no double-glazing, no insulation and the roof leaks.  That’s the reason for the fundraiser. Most people only know about the fortnightly exhibitions there but, behind the scenes, it’s a very busy visual arts space. There are two general workshops, a ceramics workspace, an artist’s studio, an office, an IT room and an outdoor performance/workspace ..read more

It was lonesome, the leaving.  Husband dead, friends buried or held prisoner.  I felt that I was leaving all that I had – but I did not cry.  You know how you feel when you lose kindred or friends through sickness and death.  You do not care if you live or die.  With us it was worse.  Strong men, well women and little children killed and buried.  They had not done wrong to be so killed.  We had only asked to be left in our own homes, the homes of our ancestors.  Our going was with heavy hearts, broken spirits.  But we would be free… All lost ..read more