Fastnet Lighthouse — An Charraig Aonair

Fastnet Lighthouse rises from a small rock in the Atlantic, eight miles off the West Cork coast. Its Irish name, An Charraig Aonair — the lonely rock — seems to capture both the isolation of the place and the steadfast presence of the lighthouse above the sea.

For many 19th-century Irish emigrants, Fastnet was the final piece of Irish land they saw as their ships sailed west across the Atlantic. I kept returning to that thought while painting: the lighthouse growing smaller in the distance, carrying all the emotion of a last glimpse of home.

In this painting I wanted the sea to feel deep and restless, while the lighthouse remains pale and still against the soft sky. That contrast speaks to me — the movement and uncertainty of the Atlantic set against one enduring point of light.

Fastnet Lighthouse — An Charraig Aonair is currently on display as part of my exhibition of original paintings at Carrickmacross Civic Centre. The exhibition continues until 1 October 2026, and visitors are very welcome to call in during Civic Centre opening hours to see the painting in person.

A photograph can only carry part of an oil painting's surface, colour and atmosphere. If the story of Fastnet, West Cork or Irish emigration holds a special meaning for you, I hope you will have the opportunity to stand before this piece and experience it at its full scale.