Rockwell Kent & "Annie McGinley"

Níor chuaigh mé ar fad go An Starraill nuair ag curtha cuairt ar chóis ar an cnoic go ciuin ar thuas go Gleann Cholm Cille. Bhí séag dorchú ann ar feadh oíche go fuar agus ceo. Ach bhí an ealaíontóir Meiriceánach Rockwell Kent déanta é ansin. Phéint sé radhairc eile ag ceantar sin i Ghleann Locha go ciúin go haoibhinn ansiud ag timpeall 1950.

Is maith liom iomha suas. Chuir mé ar mo blag, is amhlaigh. Tá ábalta feicéail é imbealach síos ag imeall.

D'iarr mé ag dul níos fad an trathnóna sin. Ach, níor iarraigh mé ag siúl ansiud. D'fhoglaim mé go mbeadh go contúirteach.

Ní fhaca mé go dtí sé suas an chósta, gan amhras. Bhí mé ag imeacht go leor an deireadh láe ann, go cinnte. Mar sin féin, bhí brea liom an radharc go halainn ansin.

Sular d'fhág mé do Dhún na nGall a foghlaim Gaeilge ar feadh an coicis an deireadh Mheitheamh agus ar dtús an Iuil 2007 sin, chur mé léiríu beag bídeach ó "Aine nig Fhionnaile" in aice leis mo deisce ag an áit na hobair. Spreag sé mé ag chur cuairt ag thabhairt agus an fod go Oideas Gael. Measaim faoi An Sturrall thar mo radharc ina h-oíche--agus go raibh mé a fheiceáil gach ceann na Ghleann Cholm Chille --go minic.

Is féidir é a leámh eolas eile anseo:

"An Créatúir den ár Imshaol" le Dairin Ó Fáinín, Midland Tribune & Tullamore Tribune, Bealtaine 2008.

"An Slí Ealaíontóra" le Andrea Gibson, Ollscoil na h-Ohio University "Perspectives" 8:2 (Deireadh-Geimreadh 2004): 14-19.

Rockwell Kent & Annie McGinley

I didn't go as far as The Sturrall when I paid a visit on foot to the silent hills north of Glencolmcille. It was getting dark there that cold foggy night. But the American artist Rockwell Kent made it there. He painted other views of that enchanting district over there in quiet Gleann Locha around 1950.

I liked the image above. I put it on my blog, in fact. It can be seen way down along the edge. 

I'd wanted to go farther that evening. But, I didn't wish to walk beyond. I knew that it might be dangerous.

I could not see up the coast further, without a doubt. I went along a lot the end of that day there, certainly. All the same, I did cherish the lovely view there.

Before I left for Donegal to study Irish during a fortnight the end of June and the start of July that 2007, I put a tiny illustration of "Annie McGinley" near my desk at my place of work. It inspired me to visit and to persevere at Oideas Gael. I think about The Sturrall beyond my night sight--and all of Glencolmcille that I did see--often.

More information can be read here:

"The Figure in the Environment" by Darren Fanning, Midland Tribune & Tullamore Tribune, Winter 2008.

"The Painter's Way" by Andrea Gibson, Ohio University Perspectives 8:2 (Fall-Winter 2004): 14-19.