Paintings and Prints of Ireland
by Barrie Maguire

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Donegal Castle: Three Survivors

Framed size: 48" x 36" - Oil on canvas

THREE SURVIVORS

I found the great somber back wall of Donegal Castle to be more powerful, more graphic, than the more famous front views of the 15th century stronghold of the O'Donnell clan. In 1566 the castle was described by a visiting English Viceroy as "the largest and strongest fortress in all Ireland," but The O'Donnell partially destroyed it in 1607 before fleeing Ireland in the famous "Flight of the Earls." The lands and castle were granted to an English captain, Basil Brooke, who restored and modernized it.  The Brooke family owned it for generations before it fell into disrepair in the 18th century, and remained a ruin until the Irish
Government brought it back to life in the 1990s.

    Against that fabulous white wall backdrop I decided to paint another handsome survivor, an old birch tree that has taken a licking but keeps on ticking, as can be seen by the new growth at its top-most branches.

    The third survivor here is the old discarded heavily carved frame I came across years ago and have kept ever since, waiting for the perfect use for it. The frame had badly warped over the years, and was cracked and the finish was worn, but to me it was another symbol of survival, battered and bruised but still a thing of great beauty. I worked on the frame, even tried weighting it down with stones and soaking it in the shallow lake for two days, and was finally able to straighten it enough so that it could accomodate a stretched canvas.

 

Prints available soon

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NATURAL ABSTRACTS:

Ramelton Fantasy - Lough Swilly Abstract - Reflecting on Gougane Lake - Three Irish Robins - Gougane Barra - Moville Pier - St. Ciaran's Shells - Dunree Head - The Whitmarsh Barn - Yankee Winter - Stay Awhile - Waterfall

PORTRAITS

 Elizabeth Pop - McCarthy's Band (Tierna) - Sullivan McCarthy - Riordan McCarthy - Ella Maguire - Maya Grace at Three - Judy Tecosky - Caitlin at 17 - Karen Maguire - Himself, the Arteest - Cindy, Cindy - Kellie at 14 - Brigid - Patrick Barrie - Sterling Fuller at 90 - Hanna Sweeney - Martin Hayes - After the Aire (Ariana Flood) -

 IRELAND AND THE IRISH, LANDSCAPES, COTTAGES, SHEEP:

The Burren: After the Rain - Crossing Dingle - Pastel Burren - Lyons Pub - M ODonovan - Himself & Herself - Connemara Dreamer - Road to Lisdoonvarna - Maam Cross - Allihies Parish - Mountry Sentry - Fanore Hill - Rainy Day in Clare - Burren Thistle - Donegal Cottage - I Remember Ireland - Celtic Biker - Stairway to Heaven - Window on Innismore - Aran islands - Dunworley Strand - Timoleage Abbey - West Cork - Water Lily - Five Irishmen - Listowel - Cemetery South of Enniskillen - Cemetery South of Enniskillen - Rathmullan #1 - Morning Nap Sheep - The Face of Ireland - Suppertime in Kerry - Achill Ram - Windy Connemara Sheep - Connor Pass Sentry - Show Off - sheep - Bunratty Castle Hen -  Lowtide near RoundstoneCounty Limerick from Heaven - Achill RamDingle Aire - Magpie - The Green Door - Loughros Beg - Kylemore Lough - Donegal Castle - Your Man - The Bay - Connor Pass - Loughros Beg Morning - Celtic Roundup - SheepIrish Quilt Prints- Prints of Ireland - The Irish Quilt - Digital prints of Irish Rocks - Lough Swilly - Giants Causeway - Almost Home - Finbar's Rowboat - Loughros Beg Dunes - Echo Lake Lilly - Bonnie's Onion - Black Abbey Angel - Queen of Donegal - Culdaff Pier - Spike Maguire - John Buck - Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man - Kerry Gold: Pat Talbot's Cows - Inishmaan Pub - St. Mullins Meditation - Kilcooney Evening - Queen of Inishmaan - Winter Shoes - Blue Moon - Marie Catherine - Killary Harbour - Queen of Innishmaan - Landis Store Pears -