New art hub in East Cork is a family affair

A vibrant new gallery and gift store which opened in East Cork last week has marked an exciting new chapter for the region’s creative community.

Kilkenny Design Shanagarry is the home to Ballycotton 1851 Studio and Ainé O’Keeffe’s latest exhibition, An Slí, was officially opened there by Minister of State Jerry Buttimer and the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy.

Viewing Ainé’s mix of paintings, showing the beauty of Irish landscapes and and nature, you can step into a journey through Ireland’s spirit from the quiet earth, through mist and sea, into the golden light of hope.

“Painting is my passion,” explains Ainé.

The reference to 1851 in the studio’s name is a nod to the year when Ballycotton Lighthouse first lit its flashing light that could be seen at a distance of 30km. Strikingly black against the blue sky, the majestic lighthouse lies less than 2km from the shore.

Ainé, with her artist’s eye, always had a wonderful vantage point from her home, Sunnybrook House in Ballycotton, to engage in her passion that she discovered as a young girl.

“Living in my coastal and countryside surroundings, I can immerse myself in the beauty and creativeness that the picturesque landscape offers us,” says Ainé.

She is offering an open invitation to come to marvel and wonder at her unique creations.

“Now I am going to be working here in Kilkenny Design with all the other talented, creative people,” says Ainé delighted at the prospect of her new, bright studio, and delighted that people from near and far can come and view her aesthetic art that is awash with colours that reflect mood, emotion, and communication.

“My art also explores our culture and our language,” says Ainé, who has two daughters and two sons with her partner Niall.

Aine’s dad inspired her to use her creative hands to create her own magic.

“My dad was a brilliant chef,” says Ainé. “As a young girl, I was always fascinated when he’d start cooking”.

Larry always cooked up a storm.

Sifting, stirring, whipping up the butter and the sugar, waiting for the golden mixture to rise, Ainé watched and soaked up his every move that he made with his deft fingers.

Tragically, Larry was involved in a car accident. “He was paralysed down one side as a result,” says Ainé.

He always said his daughter would be an artist.

“To pass the time at the hospital with dad, I began to draw a lot,” says Ainé. “I graduated from Crawford School of Art college in 1991.

“Moving abroad to the island of St Helena, I was influenced by the colours in the southern hemisphere near the equator. I saw the world in a different way.”

Ainé’s natural artistic talent developed and blossomed over the years, and talking to her now, she knows that her mum Nancy and her dad Larry would be very proud and excited, like she is, exhibiting her paintings in the fabulous space at Kilkenny Design for all to admire.

The brand Ballycotton 1851 is a family affair.

Sophie O’Keeffe, part of the successful music duo, Kudos, with her sister, Laura, is on board too.

“It is a family-run lifestyle and art brand inspired by the land, sea, and light of Ballycotton,” says Niall, who like his wife, Ainé, has great imagination and vision.

“Its name honours the year the Ballycotton Lighthouse was first lit in 1851, a symbol of hope and endurance on Ireland’s southern coast.”

Like Ainé, Niall, too, was inspired by his dad.

“The brand began with a simple, powerful memory,” says Niall.

“I was walking across the Ballycotton cliffs with my father when he handed me a piece of dried sea salt gathered from the rocks.”

The sea was calm and the earth was still.

“That moment inspired the creation of Ballycotton Sea Salt, which became the foundation for a collection celebrating local craft and coastal living, including art prints, original paintings, greeting cards and clothing, all proudly designed and produced in Ireland,” says Niall.

The clothing collection includes crew-necks, fleeces, t-shirts, aprons, and caps.

Fine art includes framed prints, mounted prints, and originals on canvas.

“Our daughter, Sophie, leads on creation and brand development,” says Niall.

Together, they have built a brand that celebrates connection to place, to craft, and to the sea that has shaped generations of family and community life.

Ainé’s expressionist paintings capture the light, the movement and emotion of Ireland’s coastline and countryside through textured, colourful brushwork that evokes both nature and memory,

“This opening brought everything together,” says Sophie.

“Ballycotton 1851 has always been about creativity born from the place, from salt, from sea, from story.

“To open a permanent space in Kilkenny Design Shanagarry where Ballycotton’s spirit meets Irish heritage, feels like the perfect way to continue that journey.”

The Ballycotton 1851 Gallery and Gift Store will serve as a working studio, exhibition space and retail hub for Irish-made apparel and coastal products.

Visitors can explore the collection, meet the artist, and experience the connection between heritage, craftsmanship, and the Atlantic itself.

• The exhibition An Slí will run to October 30 daily from 10am to 5pm at Kilkenny Design Shanagarry.

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