Liam O’Neill

Liam O’Neill was born in West Kerry in 1954
His art comes from his own place.
He paints his own people.
He tells his own story.
I ‘paint,’ Liam says, ‘that which makes Corca Dhuibhne unique. Mount Brandon, Cuas, Dúinín, The Three Sisters, Dunmore Head,The Blaskets.
I paint my father and his way of life.’ A life that hadn’t changed through the generations. That life was still the same when Liam was growing up there. The Blasket Islander Tomás ó Croimhthain opened the door for us’ says Liam . He was a fisherman, farmer but also a writer. He gave us permission to write or paint our own story. He said that this story needed to be told, “‘Ni bheidh ár leithéidí aríst ann. For the like of us will never be again.

Liam O’Neill is a native Irish speaker from Corca Dhuibhne Like Tomás ÓCroimhthain, his background is fishing and farming.His father and both grandfather’s were all fisherman.They fished the Atlantic off the West Coast of Kerry. They used the Naomhog , a canvas covered canoe to fish for mackerel and pollack. The rest of the time they worked in the fields.Saving the hay, oats and barley. Cutting and drying the turf. Planting and harvesting potatoes.

As a boy growing up in West Kerry, Liam had to do all the same work as his people before him. Liam fished in a Naomhog with his cousins. They all had to help in the fields as part of the ‘Meitheal.
That’s when the neighbours got together to make sure the crops were saved before the weather broke.These neighbours would also go to sea in the Naomhog and share the catch. That’s how they survived.
‘Ar scath a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.” It’s in each other shade that people survive.
Liam left West Kerry to be a teacher in Dublin. He taught himself to paint with the pallette knife
He returned back home after thirty years and settled again in Corca Dhuibhne.
If Liam O’Neill’s paintings could talk, they would speak Irish.
In the past forty years he’s had numerous one person shows in Ireland and abroad. Dingle Dublin London Paris New York San Francisco

Rugadh Liam O’Neill i gCorca Dhuibhne sa bhliain 1954

Eascraíonn a chuid ealaíne óna dhúthaigh féin.

Péinteálann sé a mhuintir féin.

Insíonn sé a scéal féin.

‘Péinteálaim,’ arsa Liam, ‘spiorad Chorca Dhuibhne. Cnoc Bhréanainn, Cuas, an Dúinín, an Triúr Deirféar, an Dún Mór, na Blascaodaí.

‘Péinteálaim m’athair agus an saol a chaith sé.’ Saol nár athraigh mórán ar feadh blianta fada. Sin é an saol a bhí fós ann agus Liam ag fás aníos. Ba é Tomás Ó Criomhthain ón mBlascaod a d’oscail an doras dúinn,’ arsa Liam. ‘Iascaire ab ea é, feirmeoir, ach scríbhneoir chomh maith. Thug sé cead dúinn ár scéal féin a insint sa scríobh agus san ealaín. Dúirt sé nár mhór an scéal seo a insint, “Ní bheidh ár leithéidí aríst ann”.

Is cainteoir dúchais Gaolainne é Liam O’Neill ó Chorca Dhuibhne. Ar nós Tomás Ó Criomhthain, iascaireacht agus feirmeoireacht an tslí bheatha a bhí ag a mhuintir. Iascaire ab ea a athair agus a sheanathair ón dá thaobh. Bhídís ag iascach amach ó chósta Chorca Dhuibhne. Naomhóg a bhíodh acu agus iad ag iascach maicréal agus pollóg. An chuid eile den am bhídís ag obair sa ghort. Ag sábháil féir, coirce agus eorna. Ag baint mhóna agus á triomú. Ag cur agus ag baint phrátaí.

Agus Liam ina bhuachaill óg ag fás aníos i gCorca Dhuibhne, bhíodh air an obair chéanna a dhéanamh is a dheineadh a mhuintir roimhe. Théadh sé ag iascach sa naomhóg lena chol ceathracha. Bhídís ar fad ag cabhrú sa ghort mar chuid den Meitheal.

Is éard a bhíodh sa Mheitheal ná nuair a thagadh na comharsain ar fad le chéile chun an barra a shábháil sula mbriseadh an aimsir. Théadh na comharsain san chun farraige sa naomhóg chomh maith agus roinnidís pé ní a bhíodh fachta. Mar sin a mhaireadar.

“Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.”

D’fhág Liam Corca Dhuibhne le bheith ina mhúinteoir i mBaile Átha Cliath. Mhúin sé ceird na péintéireachta do féin le scian phailéid.

D’fhill sé abhaile tar éis tríocha bliain agus chuir sé faoi arís i gCorca Dhuibhne.

Dá bhféadadh pictiúirí Liam O’Neill labhairt, is Gaolainn a bheadh acu.

Tá ana-chuid taispeántais aonair déanta aige le daichead bliain anuas in Éirinn agus thar lear. Daingean Uí Chúis Baile Átha Cliath Londain Páras Nua Eabhrac San Francisco