Macallaí mo shinsir / Echoes of my ancestors

Original Painting

Medium: A palette knife oil on canvas.
Size: 28 x 20”

Tully Fort, not far from Emyvale, is the last surviving of the McKenna forts. Coming from the Irish word for a small hill, Tully fort is a fine example of the type of fort common in Gaelic Ireland before the final fall of the ancient way of life. While I was there, I walked the outer rampart, picking my way through nettles, and ducking beneath the branches of the fine hazel trees that circle this site. It was such an honour to walk through a place where I know my ancestors once lived and it was not hard to feel their energy. This inspired the idea that their echoes are still there, and if you look closely, you can see the vague shapes of perhaps two of those from whom I came, wending their way through the natural gateways between the branches.