Staying on the theme of fascinating houses with artistic associations, the first day after we moved from Sligo to Donegal it rained for most of the day so I thought that would be a good day to visit the Glebe House and Gallery, near Churchill, in the north of the County. This was only my second visit. I first visited it in 1996, and was completely blown away. It’s one of those rare cases of a house that reflects the personality and tastes of an exceptionally creative person; I was reminded of it when I visited Pablo Neruda’s house in Santiago in 2002.
From 1954 to 1981 (when it was donated to the State), the house, formerly St. Columb’s Rectory, was the home of English artist Derek Hill, an artist who gained fame by painting portraits of many famous people, not least the then Prince of Wales. In Donegal he also set up a hut on Tory Island, the offshore island furthest from the Irish mainland, and painted landscapes there. In doing so he kick-started the Tory School of painting. It all began when local fisherman James Dixon, seeing Hill at work, remarked that he could do as good. In response Hill provided him with paints and canvas (Dixon insisted on making his own brushes). The results were some outstanding paintings, somewhat reminiscent of Chagall in my eyes, though with more muted colours. Subsequently, more locals, mostly with no formal art training, have produced some exceptional work.
The list of famous people that Hill counted as friends or acquaintances included Greta Garbo (who stayed at the house), Isaiah Berlin and the Kennedys. Hill’s brother was a wallpaper manufacturer and contributed most of the extravagantly patterned paper on the walls, although there is also some William Morris wallpaper. Furniture and fabrics were well chosen to match. Hill’s art collection included works by Degas, Picasso, Braque and Jack Butler Yeats, and many of these, along with many of his own works and some from the Tory School, are on display in the house. The former stables house the Glebe Gallery, which has a rotating display; at the time of our visit it focused on women artists.
The property is managed by the Office of Public Works, or OPW. That body has a mixed record overall in fulfilling its remit (I should know - I used to work there) but I have never been able to fault the quality of the guides at those of its properties that are open to the Public.
A review of "Poor Things"
I wasn't quite as blown away by Oppenheimer as I expected.
Artist Derek Hill's house in Co. Donegal still has the stamp of its late owner.
Lissadell House, in County Sligo, is rich in artistic, literary and historical associations.
Apart from the fact that I have been drawing and painting for as long (and probably longer) than I can remember, I have come to realize that there are other reasons why it comes more naturally to me than playing a musical instrument in particular. Only a few years ago, in my late 50s, I was diagnosed with ADHD.
I have, at various times, entertained notions of myself as a writer, a musician, a biologist and a lawyer, but the one activity that I was drawn to for as long as I can remember, going back into childhood, was drawing. My earliest memories include frequently asking my mother if she would let me draw, and she would find me paper and a pencil to do so. I suppose it kept me quiet.
Yet another very special house
Staying on the theme of fascinating houses with artistic associations, the first day after we moved from Sligo to Donegal it rained for most of the day so I thought that would be a good day to visit the Glebe House and Gallery, near Churchill, in the north of the County. This was only my second visit. I first visited it in 1996, and was completely blown away. It’s one of those rare cases of a house that reflects the personality and tastes of an exceptionally creative person; I was reminded of it when I visited Pablo Neruda’s house in Santiago in 2002.
From 1954 to 1981 (when it was donated to the State), the house, formerly St. Columb’s Rectory, was the home of English artist Derek Hill, an artist who gained fame by painting portraits of many famous people, not least the then Prince of Wales. In Donegal he also set up a hut on Tory Island, the offshore island furthest from the Irish mainland, and painted landscapes there. In doing so he kick-started the Tory School of painting. It all began when local fisherman James Dixon, seeing Hill at work, remarked that he could do as good. In response Hill provided him with paints and canvas (Dixon insisted on making his own brushes). The results were some outstanding paintings, somewhat reminiscent of Chagall in my eyes, though with more muted colours. Subsequently, more locals, mostly with no formal art training, have produced some exceptional work.
The list of famous people that Hill counted as friends or acquaintances included Greta Garbo (who stayed at the house), Isaiah Berlin and the Kennedys. Hill’s brother was a wallpaper manufacturer and contributed most of the extravagantly patterned paper on the walls, although there is also some William Morris wallpaper. Furniture and fabrics were well chosen to match. Hill’s art collection included works by Degas, Picasso, Braque and Jack Butler Yeats, and many of these, along with many of his own works and some from the Tory School, are on display in the house. The former stables house the Glebe Gallery, which has a rotating display; at the time of our visit it focused on women artists.
The property is managed by the Office of Public Works, or OPW. That body has a mixed record overall in fulfilling its remit (I should know - I used to work there) but I have never been able to fault the quality of the guides at those of its properties that are open to the Public.
