ADAM'S IMPORTANT IRISH ART 25 MARCH 2026

76 55 ROBERT BALLAGH (B.1943) Riverdance (1994) A set of fifteen, acrylic on canvas board 25 x 60cm (8), 28 x 59cm (2), 31 x 44cm, 31.5 x 43cm, 15 x 30cm, 17.5 x 19cm, 13 x 13cm Signed, several dated (19)’94 € 20,000 - 30,000 A set of fifteen original paintings by one of Ireland’s best known and loved contemporary artists, commis- sioned for use as the theatrical backdrops to the live performances of the sensation that is Riverdance . To date over 30 million people worldwide have seen the show. Riverdance is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score com- posed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest featuring Irish dancing champions Jean Butler, Michael Flatley and the vocal ensemble Anúna. Shortly afterwards, the production team led by John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded it into a stage show, which opened in Dublin on 9 February 1995. As of 2025, the show continues to tour the world. Robert Ballagh (b.1943) is an Irish artist, painter and designer. Born in Dublin, Ballagh’s initial painting style was strongly influenced by pop art. He is also known for his hyper-realistic renderings of Irish literary, historical and establishment figures, or designing more than 70 Irish postage stamps and a series of banknotes, and for work on theatrical sets, including for works by Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde, and for Riverdance in multiple locations. Ballagh’s work has been exhibited at many solo and group shows since 1967, in Dublin, Cork, Brussels, Moscow, Sofia, Florence, Lund and others, as well as touring in Ireland and the US. His work is held in a range of museum and gallery collections. He was chosen to represent Ireland at the 1969 Biennale de Paris. A lifelong resident of Dublin, he was made a member of Ireland’s academy of artists, Aosdána. He became the founding chairperson of the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation. He has received a number of awards, including an honorary doctorate from UCD. He has published a book of photography of Dublin, and a volume of memoirs.