EXHIBITION AT GRENNAN MILL CRAFT SCHOOL, THOMASTOWN, CO.KILKENNY

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                                               PAINTING BY DEBRA BOWDEN

During August I attended Kilkenny Arts Festival .  Having experienced some of the artistic delights in Kilkenny I left the city for a brief sojourn and travelled south 17kms, through Bennetsbridge, to the historic village of Thomastown.  Thomastown hosts an independent arts festival every year in conjunction with Kilkenny Arts Festival.  Many artists and crafts people live in Thomastown so the variety and quality of work is a very high standard.  I was invited to the opening of a group exhibition at Grennan Mill Craft School  by a friend Debra Bowden. Grennan Mill Craft School was founded in 1981 by County Kilkenny Vocational Education Committee.   Students learn metal craft, printmaking, ceramics, batik and textile weaving.   Debra is one of the many talented past pupils of the Craft School.  Having graduated from Grennan Mill, Debra spent a further four years studying in Scotland and subsequently won a scholarship in 2006 to travel to Japan to study the Japanese art of woodblock printing.   She is currently teaching print making at the Craft School. 

 

                                          PAINTINGS BY DEBRA BOWDEN

 The Craft School is located in the converted grain lofts of the Island Mill, an old flour mill dating back to the 18^th Century, on the banks of the River Nore.  Six artists showcased their work and Debra exhibited her drawings and paintings in a large gallery area on the top floor of the mill.  Debra, originally from England, has lived in Thomastown for the past twenty years and her exhibition dealt with her preoccupation with various aspects of home.  Her work was inspired by prehistoric drawings, symbols and hand prints found on cave walls.  Four sections of the gallery told her story of Home, Family Home, My Home and Leaving Home.

             RELAXING IN THE COURTYARD OF GRENNAN MILL CRAFT SCHOOL

 A large crowd gathered for the exhibition. Luckily it was a glorious summers day. When visitors had viewed the various exhibitions they relaxed in the courtyard of the mill to discuss the beautiful work and enjoy a refreshing glass of sangria.  Climbing six flights of narrow wooden stairs on a warm day to view Debra's exhibition was thirsty work!

 

SCULPTURES BY NIALL HARKIN

Another talented artist exhibiting on the ground floor of Grennan Mill was sculptor Niall Harkin.  His work is inspired by animal and nature forms.  Niall works with sheet bronze and his method is to cut, shape, weld, make forms and finally patinate the metal. 

BASKETRY BY HEIKE KAHLE

Heike Kahle of Baurnafea Willow Works created a selection of traditional and contemporary willow baskets and garden structures.  Terry Dunne and Frances Crowe exhibited woven tapestry and Caroline Schofield showcased textiles and drawings.  The exhibition showcased some of the amazing work being produced by artists and crafts people involved with Grennan Mill Craft School, past and present.

                  DEBRA BOWDEN SIGNS COPIES OF CATALOGUES OF HER PAINTINGS

              

 

 

 

A SUMMERS AFTERNOON WITH A FRIEND AT LONGUEVILLE HOUSE, CO.CORK

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                                                 LONGUEVILLE HOUSE

An old friend came to stay for a couple of days recently and as a treat I decided to take her to the beautiful Georgian heritage mansion Longueville House.   I rang to check if they were serving food during the day and was informed that on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays a snack food menu is served in the drawing room from 1pm – 6pm.  Longueville House is set in 500 acres of wooded estate in North Cork.  It is a 5km drive from Mallow town heading west along the Killarney road.  The O’Callaghan family own and run Longueville House and even though it is a grand old mansion it is homely and unpretentious. 

 

DRAWING ROOM AND BAR BELOW

We decided to visit on Thursday.  I love to see the wondrous expressions on faces of friends as we sweep up the long drive to Longueville.   Sheep and horses graze peacefully together in rolling park lands and when the secluded house is revealed it is like stepping back in time to a world of Jane Austen and the Bennett sisters.   Entering the house through a handsome Georgian door to an ample hallway the stately drawing room is to the left.  The room is decorated with large guilt-framed mirrors and old family portraits and furnished with comfortable couches and chairs, a perfect place to spend a couple of hours chatting with friends.  In winter a heart-warming fire burns in the large open fireplace but as we were there on a fine summers day the room was warmed by glorious rays of sunshine streaming through enormous sash windows.

The kitchen is supervised by internationally commended chef/patron William O’Callaghan.    The snack food menu is reasonably priced and consists of delicious soups, terrines, lasagnas and other tasty nibbles.  Longueville House practises a field-to-fork policy offering the freshest produce from their gardens and farm.  Dinner in one of the stately dining rooms is next on my list.   When my friend and I finished our  delicious relaxing lunch we left our comfortable couch to take a postprandial stroll around the gardens. 
 

 

STATELY DINING ROOMS

Longueville house offers a myriad of activities to visitors and guests.  Salmon and trout fishing on the river Blackwater, simulated clay shooting, October mushroom hunts, May dawn and dusk chorus walks, cookery demonstrations with lunch and various tours and tastings.  Longueville also houses Ireland’s only brandy distillery.  Artisan cider is brewed on site and artisan foods and hampers are for sale all year round.

                                              HALLWAY OF LONGUEVILLE HOUSE

The magnificent Victorian glass and iron conservatory was added to the house in 1866 by Richard Turner and is a stunning location for weddings and gatherings. When we had finished our tour of the gardens my friend thanked me for a wonderful afternoon.  I think you’ll agree that Longueville House is a very special place to spend an afternoon with an old friend.

   RICHARD TURNER'S VICTORIAN CONSERVATORY CONSTRUCTED IN 1866

 

 

 

 

VIEW FROM GARDEN AT LONGUEVILLE HOUSE