Baronies of Uí Chairín, 72″x36′, oil on canvas.
Baronies of Ikerrin in English, are geographical units of land and are one of 12 baronies in County Tipperary. Its chief town is Roscrea. The barony lies between Eliogarty to the south (whose chief town is Thurles) and Ormond Upper to the west (whose chief town is Toomevara). This dreamlike memory of the view from my grandparents’ farm is the origin of my love of landscape. I think I am painting the same painting or at least trying to capture the essence of the land and the story it tells daily and indeed over time. Vikings, Normans, Huguenots, Palatines, and Anglo-Saxons occupied this ancient land for over 1,000 years.
The painting is inspired by my poem Baronies of Uí Chairín.
Listen here.