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Irish Post
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Ten Mins With…Gerard Byrne
IRISH artist Gerard Byrne is heading Stateside. The Dubliner will exhibit his work at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair in Southampton, New York from July 10 – 13. This week he took time out to talk to the Irish Post about his plans... Dublin artist Gerard Byrne What are you up to right now? I'm knee-deep in paint and packing canvases, preparing for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair in New York this July. It's a big moment - my first major US exhibition since the '90s. Gerard Byrne Studio, Home of Modern Irish Impressionism, is proud to be the only gallery from Ireland exhibiting. We will be showcasing an exclusive preview of my New York collection in a Solo Artist Booth, Pollock Pavilion, Main Avenue, Booth 418. Moreover, on Sunday, July 13, from 1 – 4pm, I will be performing a live painting demonstration—a unique opportunity for fair-goers to see a piece come to life in real time. In the meantime, I'm working on a few new artworks that capture Georgian Dublin's elusive summer light before I head off. The weather here keeps you humble, and quick— long evenings are a gift to any plein-air painter. Summer is here, what do you have planned for the season? Aside from sweating through linen in New York, the highlight is definitely the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, where I'lll be exhibiting sixteen works - some from my two-month painting trip to NYC last autumn and a few new large-scale figurative pieces completed in my Dublin studio. I also plan to do some plein-air painting while I'm in the Hamptons, soaking up that East Coast light. Afterwards, I'm hoping for a well-earned break. Gerard Byrne's Rooftop Reverie is among the artworks which will be on display at this month's Hamptons Fine Art fair What are your goals for 2025? To keep going. I've been at this for over 35 years and there's still so much more to paint (I still haven't painted my masterpiece yet). I want to remind people that looking – really looking – is still a radical act. We're drowning in images, but there is a difference between scrolling and seeing. My goal is to create work that slows people down, even for a moment. That's a kind of resistance, in a world that wants us to move faster and feel less. Who are your heroes? I've always admired people who live by instinct. From an early age, I was drawn to the Masters—Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh. When I lived in London, David Hockney's '60 Years of Work' retrospective at Tate Britain really inspired me. His joyful take on figurative works and simple landscapes sparked a real synergy with my own work. It's great to see Hockney, a living artist, being celebrated at such a large-scale in Britain. Personally, I feel that painters aren't as recognised in Ireland, but I quietly aspire for a retrospective one day. Meanwhile, I keep working hard. Beyond the art world, I admire anyone brave enough to start over. I trained as an electrician and worked on lighthouses before picking up a brush. My real heroes are the ones who take risks and let life surprise them. What is your favourite piece of art? It's hard to pick just one favourite piece, but I believe Joaquín Sorolla's Sewing the Sail truly earns him the title 'Master of Light'. The way he captures light and texture is incredible. It feels intimate and alive, like a moment suspended in time. My recent discovery of Sir John Lavery's Sunbathers (1936) from 'Lavery. On Location' at the National Gallery of Ireland, also impressed me. Which artist influenced you most? Monet influenced the way I see colour and movement. The same with Hopper's treatment of light, and in the last decade, David Hockney has had a huge influence on my work—his ability to capture everyday scenes with such vibrancy and joy really resonates with me. He knows what he likes and continues to reinvent it. But if I'm honest, the world itself has been my greatest teacher. I didn't study art in college, I'm a self-taught artist. My art has always been influenced by my surroundings and experiences. I learned by observing, again and again, until I found the small details—the way light hits the corner of a building, or the drifting gaze of a barman as he pours someone a drink. The artist, hard at work What is your favourite place in Ireland? Since the '90s, I've been going to Dingle—painting the town and its landscapes. Out of the Blue, my favourite seafood restaurant, has become a kind of Gerard Byrne shrine, and I've built a strong following in that part of the country. More recently, I've been rediscovering West Cork—finding myself drawn back to its soft light, tranquility and the kind of quiet moments that remind you why you fell in love with painting in the first place. Of course, as a Dubliner, the city will always hold a special place in my heart. What is the best lesson life has taught you? Life will always pull you toward what you're meant to do. It's never too late to become who you are. I didn't come through art school. I came through the trades, through hard work and long roads, but something kept drawing me back to painting. You've got to trust your instincts, because your path doesn't need to be straight to be true. Also, protect your time, and your eyes. Don't take anything for granted. And never trust a brush that looks too clean. Byrne's Jazz on the Rocks piece What do you believe in? I'm a firm believer in destiny and serendipity. Over the years, I've found myself in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people—often without planning it. Some of the most important turns in my life and career began with a small decision or a passing moment that ended up meaning a lot. You still have to put in the work, but sometimes life opens a door you didn't even know you were walking toward. Where do your Irish roots lie? 100% Dublin. My great-grandmother came from Mayo, and so did my grandfather on my father's side - but everyone else is from Dublin. I was born and raised here, in Finglas. Solid, working-class Dublin. The Ireland I grew up in was tough, funny, and poetic - full of characters. That humour and sharpness shaped how I see the world. You learn early how to observe, and certainly how to laugh. Where do you live now and what are the best and worst things about that place? I live in Ranelagh, Dublin, with my wife Agata, and we run Gerard Byrne Studio together. Best thing? It's a sought-after postcode—posh and affluent, with the iconic red-bricks. I like how close it is to the city and the airport, and that I can spend the day painting, then step out for a pint in O'Brien's or a walk in Green or Herbert Park. Worst thing? You don't really get to know your neighbours here, unlike in Dalkey for example, where I lived before. And I'm a people's person through and through. What is your ultimate guilty pleasure? A cold pint of Guinness after a long day of painting under the hot summer sun.
Irish Post
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
‘Special day' as Irish running group connecting refugees with locals launches in Britain
AN Irish running group which brings refugees together with locals in the areas they now call home has launched in Britain. Founded in Cork in 2018, Sanctuary Runners uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants with local residents to promote 'solidarity-through-sports'. The brainchild of former Irish Post sports editor Graham Clifford, the initiative has experienced huge success since its foundation. There are now 42 running groups in place across Ireland and its first UK launched in Brighton yesterday (June 18). Mr Clifford, who is Sanctuary Runners' Head of International Development, will lead Sanctuary Runners GB until a wider team, based in Britain, is in place, he confirmed this week. "Since our very earliest days in Cork we were determined to develop the Sanctuary Runners model internationally,' he said. 'Today is a very special day for us as we know how impactful Sanctuary Runners can be to bring communities together, to build bridges in society and to cut through all the misinformation and hate we see in the modern world,' he added. 'At the core of Sanctuary Runners GB will be a proud central belief that everyone, no matter their nationality, ethnicity, legal status, skin colour, age, gender or sexual orientation deserves to be treated with respect. 'In recent times when we have seen race rioting in different parts of the UK its clear initiatives such as this are needed here. 'We can't wait to roll up our sleeves to start building that wave of solidarity, friendship and respect across Britain as we have done in Ireland." At last night's launch in Brighton, the film Solidarity in Motion, which was commissioned by London Marathon Events - a partner organisation of Sanctuary Runners GB, premiered at the Duke of York theatre. It tells the story of the Brighton Sanctuary Runners Academy - a group of 50 people, made up of 15 different nationalities which included locals, refugees and asylum seekers, who all ran in the Brighton marathon on April 6. Nick Bitel, Chief Executive of the London Marathon Group, helped launch Sanctuary Runners GB in Brighton last night. The organisation plans to launch groups in East London, Merseyside, the North East of England, Coventry and Cardiff in the months ahead. See More: Brighton, Launch, Sanctuary Runners, UK
Irish Post
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
'Peace, not war' - Bernie Sanders tells Cork on Irish visit
Irish Post commentator PETER KELLY went walkabout with former US presidential hopeful in Ireland's 'Second City' From Cork City Hall to Connolly Hall SIPTU union event with Lord Mayor Dan Boyle IT'S not every day that a US presidential hopeful is seen on walkabout in Ireland's second city. At the end of May Senator Bernie Sanders prompted many a second glance among Cork's residents as he strode through its small streets. The man who vied for the US Democratic Party's presidential nomination both in 2016 and 2020 was on an Irish visit to promote the benefits of union labour, its heritage and to encourage world peace. He gave speeches at union buildings in both Dublin then Cork, and was the keynote speaker at the capital's Tressell Festival, then to a sell-out public audience in the renowned Vicar Street Theatre near the Guinness Brewery. Senator Sanders with wife Dr Jane O'Meara Sanders beneath Shandon Bells Church The 83-year-old veteran US Senator was earlier afforded an audience with 84-year old Irish President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park. Their fond interaction went viral on social media and Mr Sanders signed the distinguished visitors book in what is known as the Irish White House. The Vermont native had met President Higgins in 2018 at Dublin's Dalkey Book Festival and this year was joined by his Irish-American wife, Dr Jane O'Meara Sanders. Sláinte! Celebrating labour union icon Mary 'Mother' Jones' legacy However, it was in Ireland's second city that Mr Sanders made the most memorable impression. From cordial fellow train passengers en route to Cork, to the city's lord mayor, TDs and the pro-union audience in its offices, it was a surreal sight seeing Bernie Sanders traverse the small city and streets of the inner city, as locals looked on bemused. The ironic apex of his visit was surely the butchers' shop-stop, where local union labour historians regaled him of tales of Mother Jones, the locally-born union activist who organised workers in the US in the late 1800s is celebrated. The sight of Senator Sanders in historic Cork lanes, behind the counter, flanked by carnivorous staff in aprons prompted his comment that "I've been to many openings and events, and let me tell you this, it's the first time ever that me and Jane have ever been to a butcher's shop,' he joked. 'Thank you, Cork.' Bernie Sanders arrives from Dublin at Cork's Kent Station With an Irish whiskey toast Sanders departed with well-worn wisdom for local Lee-siders, advice to honour long established Irish-American ties. "It's imperative" he said, "that we all stand together to remember our common humanity, and that all the children in the world have a right to live with food, with education, with security. And that we strive for a world of peace and not war." Peter Kelly See More: Cork, Senator Sanders, US Politics
Irish Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Ten minutes with Johnny McEvoy
THE singer Johnny McEvoy has just celebrated his 80th birthday. He has marked the milestone with a new album entitled Both Sides — 14 songs and six audio stories recorded and read by the singer. This week he took time our to talk to the Irish Post... Johnny McEvoy has released a new album What are you up to? I'm writing poems, short stories, songs and I'm still touring. Which piece of music always sends a shiver down your spine? There is one piece that does it: Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. It was featured in a 1975 Australian movie called Picnic At Hanging Rock which is actually one of my favourite movies. Which musician or singer has most influenced you? There are two: Hank Williams influenced me a lot in my early years followed by the best of them all in my opinion, Liam Clancy. I believe he was the best singer and storyteller, the while being also very theatrical. What's on your smartphone playlist at the minute? I don't have one. What are your favourite lyrics? Any of Dylan's songs: Desolation Row I believe is his finest. But I could name dozens of other songs from various artists. The Planter's Daughter is an intriguing song that you wrote. What's the story behind it? It's a song I wrote about my wife. It tells the story of how we met, trying to find a decent chat up line, and after many failed attempts she eventually agreed to meet me for a coffee. We were together for 50 years. I'll always love the planter's daughter. What are your Irish roots? My family roots are in Galway, but I was born in Banagher, Co. Offaly. The family left there when I was 6, and have lived in Dublin and surrounding areas since. What is your favourite place in Ireland? A place I would find moving in an historical and atmospheric way would be the Feather Beds in the Dublin mountains. I always find it very calming and it just sits there unchanged in silence looking down over Dublin. What would you say has been your proudest moment on stage over you many decades of singing? Any night can be your proudest night, but the next night can be a disaster. I wouldn't change a thing. McEvoy's new album Both Sides What has been your favourite venue? The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, when I walk into the Gaiety even now 60 years after I first performed there the smell alone brings back a thousand memories. Have you a book that has been a major influence on you? Sean O'Casey's autobiography. Which living person do you most admire? Any man or woman who deals with addiction and comes out on top. Which trait in others do you most admire? I would admire loyalty most. What would be your motto? Everything begins and ends at exactly the right time and place, would be something I live by. What's the best advice you've ever been given? Do your job and do it to the best of your was from my dad. In terms of inanimate objects, what is your most precious possession? A portrait of Michael Collins that was given to me by my wife the day we got married. What's best thing about where you live? The sea. And the worst? The DART. What do you believe in? I'm growing to believe in myself. What do you consider the greatest work of art? For me Michelangelo's David. Who is the greatest love of your life? Odette, my wife, was the love of my life.
