Oils on wood

80cm (wide) x 100cm (high) x 5cm (deep) unframed

Studying historical photographs of the evictions of tenant farmers in Ireland during the 1900s evoked a profound sense of empathy and inspiration in me. Old photographs depicting the ruthless practice of filling cottage windows with bracken and setting the house alight to evict tenants was the harsh reality faced by those in rural Ireland. Living in Straide, the birthplace of Michael Davitt, (the esteemed founder of the Irish Land League alongside Charles Stewart Parnell), further deepens my connection to this turbulent history. My proximity to this significant birthplace amplifies a sense of responsibility to honor the struggles of those ‘local ancestors’ through my paintin; their derelict stone houses surround me. The painting that has emerged from this inspiration seeks to capture the resilience and unwavering spirit of those who endured such unjust hardships, alongside the ‘spectacle of eviction’ that existed in the ‘not-so-distant’ past while also serving as a tribute to the indomitable human spirit. The sad part is, this practice still exists today, albeit in different forms, under differenct guises.