Stunning Scattery paintings go on exhibition

ENNIS Friary has an added attraction for both tourists and locals this summer – a temporary art exhibition featuring a series of stunning original paintings of Scattery Island.

The paintings  are the work of Senan O’Brien a talented Dublin artist with very strong Clare roots. The exhibition features six paintings depicting different views of Scattery Island, it’s landscape, buildings and Saint Senan’s monastery.

The artist was born in 1964 in Dublin, the youngest son of Denis O’Brien, himself a renowned artist, and Lillian O’Brien (nee Beehan) from Kilrush. He was named Senan after a good friend of his parents Fr. Senan Hederman O.F.M. a Franciscan from Ennis, who, by coincidence, is buried at Ennis Friary where the exhibition is taking place.

O’Brien’s skills as an artist have been widely recognised and his artwork is highly sought after. He has been commissioned to paint works for former president Mary McAleese and A.I.B. Bank. Successful solo exhibitions of his work have also previously been held at the Eigse Arts festival in Limerick and the Wexford Opera Festival and have proved very popular with the public.

He was introduced to Scattery Island after the passing of his mother.
Being a native of Kilrush she was familiar with Scattery Island and visited
it frequently. The artist had a very close bond with his mother and says
that he could feel her spirit watching and guiding him as he painted these
works.

A smaller version of the exhibition is also on display in the OPW Visitor
Centre on Scattery Island.