15/09/2026
As the Light Fades Over Achill.
Oil on stretched linen canvas, 70 x 50cm
This painting captures a particular moment on Achill Island, as daylight slips into night.
I was drawn to this small pub car park (Lynotts Pub) and the atmosphere of the place at that particular moment. The glowing retro Guinness sign became the focal point, while beside it, an aged Gold Flake to***co sign catches the headlights of an unseen car. Both signs belong to a particular era in Irish life, and there’s something nostalgic about them.
The pub itself remains hidden. Instead, the surrounding details tell us something about the place: the rolling hills, a tractor peeking out from behind the wall, and the lampposts and wires that are so familiar in rural Ireland. I love these kinds of details. They can seem ordinary or easily overlooked, but they suggest the people, routines and stories that exist around them. Although people are absent, their presence is felt.
The changing sky was important too, helping to create the atmosphere. I wanted to capture that period as day turns into night, when the landscape changes and everything takes on a different mood. There is something about this scene that feels both fleeting and timeless. A particular place, time and light.
As the Light Fades Over Achill is the second of my two paintings selected for the group exhibition taking place as part of Lucan’s first dedicated Culture Night.
Lucan Creative Arts Network
Lynotts Pub
South Dublin County Arts Office
Achill Tourism
Guinness
Guinness Storehouse
