Anyone who finds themselves in the Connemara village of Roundstone from this Sunday, August 6, to Sunday, August 15, can be confident that, whatever the weather, of passing a pleasurable and educational couple of hours at Roundstone Lower Community Hall, watching artist Rosie McGurran at work as she explains her creative process.

It’s as part of a major new exhibition from Rosie, consisting of some 25 paintings in a variety of media, which will open this Saturday evening, August 5, in the community hall.

The Belfast artist has played a key role in the life of the village and its surrounds since she moved there 23 years ago. Through the Inishlacken Project established in 2001, she has created an opportunity for hundreds of artists to spend time working on the tiny nearby offshore island,  via a residency scheme. She also provides weekend courses throughout the year and is involved in Roundstone’s vibrant celebrations for Culture Night every September.

There are lots of others who are equally involved in Roundstone’s creative life, she says, mentioning the craftspeople who work year round in the village’s Michael Killeen Park, people such as bodhrán maker Malachy Kearns, jeweller Sheila Magee and the Laffans of Roundstone Ceramics.

In addition, every Thursday evening during Summer, there’s a showcase of Irish music and culture, courtesy of the Roundstone Irish Nights. Featuring local musicians Marcus, Proinsias and Breandán Hernon and Don Stiffe as resident musicians, these nights give young people a chance to showcase their musical and dancing talents.

Since the village was established in 1824, it has attracted Irish and international artists, writers and musicians, many of whom eventually settled there. These included the late Tim and Máiréad Robinson, who made Roundstone their home in 1984.  It became the place from which they ran Folding Landscapes and ran their famous ‘Conversations’, at which artists and scientists would discuss their work. Cartographer, writer and artist, Tim, and Máiréad, who was his partner in work and in life, both died in 2020, having left a profound cultural legacy, thanks in part to their work documenting the landscape and heritage of Galway, the Aran Islands and the Burren.

Their friends in Roundstone want to see their legacy continue and are planning to revive the ‘Conversations’ later this year.

Pictured: Some of the work, created using a range of media, that Rosie McGurran will be exhibiting during her show at the community centre in Roundstone.