Kieran Beville

  New Voyage for Limerick Artist - Eric Duhan  By Kieran Beville In a quiet studio somewhere between the Atlantic winds of Brittany and the remembered streets of Wolfe Tone Street, Limerick-born artist and author Eric J. Duhan paints both with brush and with pen. His latest creation, The Irish Girl II – The Journey to Brittany, the second volume in his acclaimed historical saga, has just set sail into the world — carrying with it the spirit of home, exile, and endurance that has long shaped his life and art. The novel, now available on Amazon, continues the journey of Lucy O’Brien of Askeaton, the heroine of Duhan’s first book The Irish Girl. As political turmoil shakes Henry VIII’s Ireland, Lucy and her family flee from the familiar fields of Limerick and Adare to the storm-swept shores of Brittany. What follows is a story of faith, courage, and discovery — one that resonates with the experience of leaving and belonging, of carrying one’s homeland in the heart even when...

  A New Chapter for the Hunt Museum Open Submission Exhibition Marks Bold Commitment to Contemporary Art By Kieran Beville Robert Balagh – ‘Self-Portrait after Heart Failure’ (Oil on Canvas, €10,000) On a winter evening in early December Christmas lights glittered on the quays, a quiet but significant shift took place inside the limestone walls of one of Limerick’s most beloved cultural institutions. The Hunt Museum opened the doors to its first Hunt Open Submission Exhibition, a bold new initiative designed to bridge the museum’s historic collection with the creative energies of the present. Running from 5 December to 28 February, the exhibition has already been hailed as a major cultural moment for the region, signalling a renewed commitment to living artists and a more dynamic relationship between the museum and contemporary practice. For decades, the Hunt Museum has been synonymous with its eclectic permanent collection: medieval artefacts, Renaissance devotional object...

  Artistic Lineages and Lively Spirits A New Exhibition Opens at Limerick’s People’s Museum Clare Hartigan By Kieran Beville On a dark and dreary December evening in Limerick, the stately Georgian facade of The People’s Museum glowed with a quiet sense of anticipation. The occasion was the long-awaited opening of a multi-generational art exhibition that brings together the works of Michael Collins, Clare Hartigan, Barbara Hartigan, Oisín CLeary, Teresa Collins, and Martin Finnin—an ensemble of artists whose connections, contrasts, and creative energies made the launch as intimate as it was momentous. Running from 2 December to 7 December, with its official launch on the 4th, the exhibition represents not just a showcase of individual works but a living conversation across generations, families, and artistic disciplines. It is the type of event one might expect in a major contemporary art centre, yet it feels all the more resonant and rooted because it unfolded within the el...

  Celebration of Legacy Photo Book and Video Launch By Kieran Beville On December 5th, the People’s Museum on Pery Square will open its doors for a special cultural occasion—an intimate launch of The 3 Johnnys Tribute Concert Photo Book and accompanying video. Running from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the event promises an evening of reflection, gratitude, and artistic celebration in honour of three towering figures of Irish music: Johnny Duhan, Johnny Fean, and John Kenny. The photo book, produced in a limited edition, is the labour of love of John (Tulla) O’Mahony, who spent months gathering images, memories, and moments from the tribute concert that resonated so deeply with audiences. His work captures not only the performances themselves but the spirit of community that surrounded them—the musicians who came to pay their respects, the audiences who gathered in admiration, and the lasting influence of the three men whose creativity shaped generations. Each of the “Three Johnnys” ...

  Ciarán Mac Mathúna The Limerick Man Who Bottled Ireland’s Music Ciarán Mac Mathúna By Kieran Beville There are some voices that seem to belong to the air itself. For generations of Irish listeners, one such voice came floating through the wireless on Sunday mornings—a soft, steady Limerick baritone speaking of fiddlers and folklore, of tunes that wandered from the west and stories whispered by the fire. That voice was Ciarán Mac Mathúna’s, and though he spoke to the whole of Ireland, his heart and cadence were unmistakably Limerick. Born November 26 th 1925, this year marks the centenary of his birth in Limerick. Ciarán Mac Mathúna was the kind of Limerick man who carried the city with him wherever he went—not in boast or badge, but in a quiet musical way. His voice, his humour, and his deep respect for ordinary people all echoed the spirit of this place. From the cobbled streets and schoolrooms of Limerick to the airwaves of RTÉ, Mac Mathúna became one of the most beloved...