The West Cork Collection

This collection is generously on loan to Cork University Hospital from Paul & Aileen Finucane and can be seen in the Glandore Centre, the new centre for Oncology in CUH.

The fishing village of Union Hall on Glandore Harbour is among the most delightful of the many coastal villages of West Cork.  Over the years, Union Hall has attracted innumerable artists from all over the world and many have attempted to capture the essence of the place on paper or on canvas. 

The origin of this collection goes back to 1995 when Harry Sherwin, an established Australian artist, painted his take on the seascape at the nearby fishing pier at Keelbeg (see image above).  Over time, other artists have been invited to respond to the same visual stimulus in their individual ways.  The result has been a collection of paintings that are as diverse as the artists involved.

Invited artists are encouraged to include three elements in their work – in the foreground: ‘Sea Pie Cottage’, a pre-famine coastguard cottage; in the mid-ground: the old pier at Keelbeg (built c. 1890) and in the background: Pollgorm Bridge (built c. 1886) which connects Union Hall with its sister-village of Glandore. 

The artists who have contributed to this project to date are an eclectic group that range from self-proclaimed ‘hobby’ artists to those of major international standing.  The collection continues to grow at a slow but steady rate.

Enjoy!                                                                         

Paul & Aileen Finucane – November 2018