By this day two weeks hence, Kilkenny Arts Festival will be entering its third day and, consequently, the Grennan Mill exhibitions, in Thomastown will be of the same maturity! - In fact they will be a day older because we open on Friday 5 August rather than Saturday 6 August as stated in the Arts Festival programme. They also failed to list the exhibitors in Grennan Mill which rightly infuriated Alex Meldrum, the course director at Grennan Mill, who not only makes the space available but whose attention to detail is second to none.
But Kilkenny Arts Festival is Kilkenny Arts Festival so, while it is disappointing, it is hardly surprising.

After the further disappointment, already expressed here, that Martin Dwyer could not open my exhibition, I have given more thought to the matter of invitations generally and have decided that the best thing to do is extend an universal invite to all who may be interested, rather than sending individual invitations.

So, in that spirit, I encourage all who read here to come along to the opening of the exhibitions in Grennan Mill - probably the most alluring exhibition space in the festival - or, if you cannot make the opening, to drop by between 10.00 am and 6.00pm any day from 5 to 14 August to see what you may see.....

......and in my case, that is not yet certain because, although I have a firm handle on my intentions, I still have a number of irons in fires of which I am not yet certain of the outcomes - and that is just as I would wish it to be at this stage - I think!

PLEASE COME......................

And, by way of encouragement, let me tell you of an excursion Sue and I made yesterday.

I half heard Sue interviewing Sean Hardie during the week - yes he of 'Not the Nine O'clock News' fame - about an art exhibition.

To be frank, I had small interest in going anywhere on Sunday, let alone to an exhibition of amateur paintings - however illustrious the artists! I had worked hard on the garden all day Saturday and thought that a day at home doing little more than admiring my efforts would suit me fine.

But Sue was keen to go so off we went.

The drive between Inistiogue and Graiguenamanagh and then between Graig and Borris is wonderful - but not yesterday because, at the time of our journey, it was misty and wet.

But in the old schoolhouse at Killoughternane, high on Garryhill, there was indeed an exhibition of amateur paintings. Sean was there himself, as was Bobbie Smith of Lorum both of them with paintings on display - and both of them very accomplished painters, I should say.
And there we spent a delightful hour discussing the history of the old school - which is also used by a local drama group - and learning about the group of painters that gave rise to the exhibition. - They meet every Tuesday in the school and, under the guidance of a local tutor or mentor, they paint away.....
It is so popular - with many recognisable names from the locality - that there is a waiting list to join.

But my point is this: I was so pleased that Sue had dragged me out and I hope that our example may encourage you to make the trip to visit us in Thomastown.

And please note that, while the Grennan Mill exhibitions open at 10.00am on Friday the Official Opening is not until 5.30pm on Saturday 6 August.

See you there - I hope.

You can check-out more about the exhibitions and exhibitors on the Grennan Mill site here

And in the Arts Festival programme here

You will find us under 'Visual Arts' towards the end of 'Other Selections' listings - whatever 'Other Selections' are?