Frederick Pyne looks for answers to questions of attribution for a fascinating collection of Irish cigarette cards
The attractive Irish Place Names series (IPN) produced in 1927 and 1929 for the John Player tobacco factory in Dublin were only available south of the border. Each card features a vignette of a location with the place-name in English and Irish accompanied by a brief note on the origin of the Irish name. The reverse side gives an expanded explanation of the modern place name as well as a brief history. For example, Killarney, Cill-Airne, The Church of the Sloes shows a distant church set in a landscape framed by a blackthorn tree (Fig 2). Lismore, Lios-Mór, The Great Lis or Enclosure depicts the great mound that inspired its name (Fig 1). Enniskillen, Inis Ceithlenn, Cathlenn’s Island has the warrior queen helmeted
Comhghall Casey is a keeper of ordinary things made extraordinary through his art, writes Isabella Evangelisti ahead of his exhibition at Solomon Fine Art this autumn
Christian Dupont reflects on the personal and political desires conveyed in two cartoons by Grace Gifford Plunkett
Recently elected ARHA Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh is proof that the outward appearance of Academicians may change but the concern with discipline remains constant, Niamh NicGhabhann reports