Aine Art,Killashee

Cheltenham is the Mecca for both Irish and English racegoers in the month of March. Trainers and owners of both sides of the pond pit their best horses against each other for big prize money and trophies.It takes a year of hard work and perseverance to ready a horse for Cheltenham. Thousands of Irish punters descend on Prestbury Park with dreams and hopes that their favourite horse will be in the Winners enclosure after the race.If not there is always another race. Every evening during race week you have the traditional Poker Tables where many a good man has lost his shirt, even if he hasnt lost it on the racecourse.This year Longford businessman Philip Reynolds hopes to lift the Cheltenham Gold Cup in a little over six weeks time, with his star chaser Presenting Persy. Percy won at Gowran last week and was immediately cut down to 11-4 for the Gold Cup in March.Certainly one to watch and might be worth a trip to Prestbury Park to cheer on.It could be Longfords year. Come on Percy.Aine...

On the Northern tip of Lough Ree you will come to the twin villages of Lanesborough and Ballyleague. These villages are a relaxing stop over for Shannon cruisers and are famous for fishing.Lanesborough is most noted for the large ESB powerplant that dominates the landscape.The station has helped the local economy not only through employment but through its by-product of warm water pumped into the river attractin g an abundance of fish.Amid the towns dramatic scenery there are restuarants,pubs,and shops for supplies,and the harbour is safe and quiet perfect for a good nights sleep in the cruiser. This coming weekend October 6th and 7th the villages will host the Taste of the Lakelands food festival. Aine Art will have a stand there and I am so looking forward to it.Some of the finest food producers on the island will be there.Celebrity chefs Kevin Dundon,Stephen Dowd,Catherine Fulvio,and Fiona Egan will give demonstrations with mouth watering recipes.Attractions include an ice cream p...

I was delighted to be part of the Cruthu Arts Festival this year.There was a buzz of creative excitement in the town throughout the Festival.Artists from all over the County teamed up to give Longford "A lick of Paint" in a most beautifull way.As you walked through the streets wall murals gave out an onslaught of colour,adding great character to otherwise ordinary walkways.You couldnt help but stop to admire this great artwork. Cruthu Arts Festival celebrates the wealth of artistic talent in the midlands region by creating a positive,meaningful and fun engagement with the wider community.Cruthu has grown to include pop-up galleries,street art,film,circus,traditional arts,theatre,and live music performances.I teemed up with a local photographer and our pop-up gallery was busy.I really enjoyed chatting with other artists and performers and seeing what they were doing.There is lots of creative talent of all types in Longford and Cruthu is very supportive in showcasing their wor...

With a name like Doohan you would be right to think I had connections to Donegal. Donegal is in my blood and I like to return there as often as possible.The paintings for this blog were mainly done in the Glencolmkille area.Glencolmcille named after St.Columba is in the middle of the Gaeltacht region of South Donegal. Situated by a fine sandy beach at the end of a lush fertile glen,this delightfull folk museum is set in a group of small farmhouses and barns.Among its exhibits is a replica of a National School and more intriguingly, a shebeen where locally brewed and untaxed liquor was sold,away from the eyes of the revenue men.Donegal had great hiding places only known to the hardy locals.I would now like to treat you to a couple of verses of The Homes of Donegal made famous by our own Daniel O Donnell. Ive just dropped in to see you all I will only stay awhile I want to hear how you are getting on I want to see you smile I am happy to be back again And greet you big and small For...

Ah sure you cant beat it a day in the bog was my fathers refrain, all that fresh air and hard work sure its mighty altogether, we children did not think so and had mixed feelings about going to the bog.Although May was the preferred month for turf cutting,there was plenty of work to be done in June.The turf was cut manually . It took longer to dry for two reasons,firstly it wasnt pressed so held more moisture.Secondly the sods were bigger than machine cut so took longer to dry.After being cut they were drawn out in barrows. They were then left drying on the ground. Our family spent many hours back bending to spread out the sods.After a time the turf was footed.The traditional method was to balance sods against one another until each grogeen contained around a dozen pieces.The other method was box footing,this involved laying two sods flat and then putting pairs on top of them at right angles until there were twelve or fourteen sods in the grogeen. Opinions differed as to which was...

Just arrived from a lovely week in Sligo. Sligo enchanted me. A place steeped in mythology and history. It has a great tradition in music,art,poetry as expressed by its people.From lakes, rivers, the sea,and dramatic landscapes inspire story telling,playing of music and painting of pictures to open the mind and invigorate the body. Sligo boasts magnificent link courses along the Atlantic seaboard, and parklands and fairways with unspoilt views of the beautifull county. From water sports,seaweed baths, horseriding and leisurely fishing the county has plenty to offer.Catch the waves at Strandhill, Easkey, or Enniscrone perfect for the surfer, or swimmer. Set up the easel and start painting you wont be dissappointed. Looking forward to my next trip to beautifull Sligo.You can message me on Facebook,Aine Art,Killashee.

Totally excited about attending above show tomorrow.The weather is promised really good and big crowds expected. I will be in the Creative Longford tent with local food producers and local craftspeople.The show is 116 years old this year and there is a prize fund of over 40,000 euro to exhibitors which is a great economic boost to the county as well as being a heritage and cultural event.The show is a shop window for local producers to get their face and name out there, and of course their product.Its a great venue ,ideally located off the N4. The grounds are good with plenty of parking.I am really looking forward to displaying my Art and getting to meet new people.See you all there.

Hi All I was born in Dublin and reared in Co.Meath beside the beautifull Boyne Valley.I am mostly self taught . I was educated in Kilcock,Co.Kildare where I had an excellent Art Teacher who encouraged me to persue my artistic talents.I entered several competitions and had considerable success.The bug had bitten. After the Leaving Cert. I entered the Civil Service and attended the National College of Art at night.My work is known nationally and have sold numerous works abroad. My subject matter includes landscapes, seascapes,nature and still life. In 2015 with my partner Pat and 3 beloved dogs moved to Killashee,Co.Longford where I have my own studio.Like other artists I have been held spellbound by the beauty of Longford.The lakelands, waterways,boglands and farmlands provide plenty of scenes for the artist to capture.My paintings are inspired by the West of Ireland artist Paul Henry whose strong and vibrant colours create exciting skylines,rolling fields and pasture,majestic moun...

Hi all, Aine Art will be at the Longford Country Show and Fair on Sunday 1st July. Hope the lovely weather will continue and hugh crowds will attend. I am looking forward to meeting the other artists and crafters and having fun. Art and Animals my idea of heaven, see you there.