A visit To' Crawford at the Castle' with Fair hill men's Art Group

On the 25th of January this year I accompanied the Fair hill Men's Art group to Dublin Castle to see the 'Crawford at the Castle' exhibition. The Fair hill men's Art group are a men's group I teach painting to every Wednesday in Bride Valley Park, Fair Hill on the north side of Cork city. The Art group usually has an outing once every couple of months. After receiving an invitation by Anne Bobaart a  Curator at the Crawford and  co -curator of this show we took the opportunity to travel to Dublin for a day trip. Compliments to Jenny at Dublin castle for a free tour of the castle and a book about the show. We were given a great tour by are tour guide Elizabeth(from Killarney) of the castle
grounds.

The men were inspired by the interior wood carving in the cathedral which we learned was made by local Irish craftsmen, the story of the excavation of north east tower that revealed the mote and viking settlement and finally the grander of the Viscounts and our now state function rooms.

 After our tour of the castle we continued on to see the Crawford Collection which was marvellously displayed in the rooms and halls of the castle, some of the men's favourite were the George Mounsey Wheatley Watkinson's Paddle steamer entering the port of Cork 1841 and George Butts 'A view from Audley Place': for there're topography history of the Cork Landscape, Men of the South  by Sean Keating: for it's historical reference to the Irish rebellion,  Danial Mac Donald 'Bowling match at Castlemary Cloyne c.1841': for it's enlightening us on the history of the game which was first introduced to Cork by immigrant weavers from Yorkshire, Barry Cooke's The Lough Derg Pike: for the avid fishermen in out group Anthony Haughey Famine Eviction Scene, Model World, Newtownmountkennedy 1996: for it charming composition, Murdo McLeod's  'Roy Keane 2002' well because Roy's from Cork Like!

The men were greatly inspired by the exhibition and we hope to take that inspiration back to the classroom to produce our own masterpieces. A big Thanks goes out to All those involved from Cork City Partnership Richard, Mary and John, Anne and Emma from the Crawford education department and Jenny and the staff at Dublin castle. The Exhibition runs till 12 February 2017