Edgeworthstown Library Hosts Nostalgia Art Exhibition

The launch which took place just before Christmas was followed by a charming gathering of locals and guests from as far away as South West Kerry.

Currently reside in Abbey Road. Studios, sister of the Luan Gallery, Athlone, Ciara is also based in Ballinskelligs in Kerry where she works at the Cill Rialaig Artist Retreat.

It was only fitting that Eamonn Brennan, himself a native of this beautiful part of the world but living and teaching in Longford for many years, was invited to officially open the exhibition.

He is very familiar with the beautiful landscape, history and heritage of this region and was familiar with the theme of Ciara’s exhibition titled “Nostalgia”.

Cill Rialaig, once a famine village and now converted into an artists’ retreat by famous patron Noelle Campbell Sharp attracts artists from around the world who are inspired by this secluded setting of breathtaking beauty.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Eamonn Brennan recited wonderful old Irish phrases that resonated with the theme of the exhibition – “Oidhreacht ár sinsir bundleloch ár ndóchas” which translates to “the legacy of our ancestors is the cornerstone of our hopes ”.

Ciara speaking to the Chief said she was “delighted to be hosting her first solo show in the county at the beautiful new community library in her hometown of Edgeworthstown”.

“These paintings are an intuitive response to personal memories and stories,” she said.

“This corpus is like a song, I record my journey through painting. Between the wilderness of Kerry and the Longford Lowlands and everywhere past and present in between, the places greatly inform and inspire my art.

“I see these abstract paintings as living entities, containing stories and mystery. There is no finality for them and maybe people will recognize some of the themes in play and it will spark their own memories. “

In two vibrant paintings titled “Swingboats” and “Candyfloss,” Ciara remembers attending a carnival as a child, where the library now stands in its three-story glory. Most of the paintings are associated with verses from Ciara’s own poems.

Eamonn Brennan congratulated Ciara on the exhibition – “The first in this sacred place, which inspires peace, contentment, devotion and above all calm.

“This stillness is evidenced in the painting ‘Requiescat’ where the artist has set aside Oscar Wilde’s poem of the same name in honor of his sister, Isola, who still rests in the nearby cemetery.

The exhibit will run at the Edgeworthstown Community Library until January 31, so come and take a look. To learn more about Ciara, you can follow her on @cicituite or visit www.ciaratuite.com or contact her at tuiteciara@gmail.com.
You can check the library’s opening hours at www.longfordlibrary.ie.