On the Town: Many neighbours from Kiltimagh in Co Mayo travelled to Dublin this week for the new exhibition by Sally McKenna.
Kathleen Forkan and Kathy King came on a bus with 13 other women, and were delighted with the new paintings and sculptures. They also spoke with affection of a sculpture, called The Way Home, created by McKenna, in Kiltimagh. Patricia Hurst, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, said she loved "the pencil strokes in the black and white drawings".
The exhibition, Lifting the Veil, which opened at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre this week, is a collection of works made by the artist at some of Ireland's ancient sites, such as the Hill of Tara. Ger Clarke, former head guide at Tara, said McKenna "a catches the vibrancy of the Stone Age and the Iron Age monuments and puts life into them".
McKenna, who moved from the desert near Phoenix, Arizona in the US more than 10 years ago to live in Kiltimagh with her husband, Ray Cooper, has "been able to transfer from the light and sun in Arizona to the green and the mists of Ireland," Clarke added.
"I love stone walls," said McKenna, looking at her work, which she said "started to open up" when she moved. It became "freer, more expressive and happier."
Brian Mooney, chairman of Kiltimagh's Integrated Resource Development Group, was also at the opening. Others at the opening were Fr Tom Murphy, director of the Columban Missionaries in Ireland, and fellow Columban Fr Brendan MacHale.
Lifting the Veil will run at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, Foster Place, Dublin 2 until Wednesday, July 21st.