By Claire Corrigan
Mullingar Arts Guild celebrated its 51st anniversary in existence last Thursday, 5 November at the Greville Arms Hotel with a plethora of local talent showcasing their work at the exhibition, including watercolourist Anna Mina, artist and sculptor Meera Kumar and Eleanor Casserly.
The Guild was set up by May Raleigh (an aunt of local historian, Ruth Illingworth) and Peter McCabe in 1963.
Ms. Raleigh was a professional artist, who studied at the National College of Art in Dublin, where her teachers included famous Irish names such as Sean Keating and Maurice McGonagle.
In 1962, she set up an art school at her house in Bishopsgate Street which she ran for 31 years. May Raleigh also travelled extensively, and painted in Spain, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Bulgaria and Romania.
Peter McCabe started out as a butcher at the McCabe and Tuite victuallers shop on Pearse Street but always had a keen interest drawing and painting and attended arts classes by renowned local artist Diarmoud Larkin.
To launch the exhibition, the Guild drafted in one of Ireland’s foremost artists, Roy Lyndsay, who shared his first memory of selling his pieces with the guests. “I can remember the first time I ever exhibited was in the town hall in Cavan. I stood beside my painting all night and every time anyone would pass by I would point at it and say this is mine. Eventually an elderly lady approached me saying she really liked the painting and asked me who painted it. When I excitedly told her who the artist her face dropped at this and she replied, ‘I wanted to buy it as an investment, except you’re far too young and I’m far too old.”
Mr. Lindsay also read out a short poem that he wrote during a memorable visit to the Shannon to illustrate how art can immortalise our memories, whether it is through a poem, a painting or a story. “The importance of the artist is that they summarise what they see in a personal and special way. Artists live forever through their work, as you artists here tonight will forever through your wonderful pieces.”
One of the pieces, which was entitled ‘Evening, Ladestown, Lough Ennell’ and was painted by Mary Weir, was raffled off with all proceeds donated to North Westmeath Hospice.
In her opening speech, Chairperson of the Mullingar Art Guild, Jill Whyte encouraged families to bring their children to see the paintings which were on display from Thursday to Saturday. “51 years is a long time in a small town like Mullingar and I hope the exhibition encourages younger people to become involved with art. The artists are all local and when I first came to Mullingar there were hardly any places to see paintings outside of Dublin, so it’s really nice to see such a great turnout.”
