ADAM'S IMPORTANT IRISH ART 27 MAY 2026

24 Both Tea Party and Little Girl’s Wonder are set within similarly open interior space, where a visible cottage door introduces a sense of ambiguity and spatial tension. De- spite their contrasting narratives both works reflect Dillon’s close engagement with the local community in the region. While the artist’s 1993 biography offers limited insight into any friendships he experienced in Connemara, correspond- ence reveals that during his visits to the west of Ireland, he carried out house repairs and some of these were in lieu of rent particularly when staying in the village of Roundstone. After spending several months over a winter in Roundstone in 1950-1, word spread that the Belfast painter—initially there on a sketching holiday was also a professional dec- orator. As a result, some local elderly residents employed him to undertake repairs in their homes during his stay. This dual role as artist and craftsman is subtly reflected in anoth- er painting from the same period, The Blue Room , where the artist’s tools are depicted on a cottage kitchen table, alluding to his practical work alongside his artistic practice. The friendships Dillon formed during his annual visits to Roundstone proved invaluable. They not only grounded his work in lived experience but also provided practical support. The bond of friendships allowed him to store ma- terials and unfinished paintings, including a hand-stitched tapestry safely in their homes. The tapestry, Gentle Breeze took three years to complete while the artist travelled be- tween Dublin, Belfast and London. The presence of a dog and an elderly woman seated at the table in this painting may point to Dillon’s friendship with Miss Alice Cashel. Cashel, who was unmarried and lived alone with her dog in ‘St Catherine’s’, a large Vic- torian house on the main street of Roundstone initially met the artist in 1950. Born in 1878, Alice Cashel was an Irish nationalist and a member of Cumann na mBan. Her republican background, combined with a strong interest in Irish folklore and holy wells, likely shaped lively and rich conversations she shared with Dillon during his stays. In the mid 1950s as her health declined, Alice Cashel invited the Belfast artist to stay for an extended period at St Cath- erine’s. There, he was able to prepare for his upcoming exhibitions while also assisting her with the upkeep of the house, further deepening a relationship that appears to resonate within the imagery of his work. In considering other possible identities of the sitters, the young woman in the bold lime-coloured top may be Pame- la Matthews (1931–2020). In a telephone interview in 2011, Matthews recalled that although she initially studied under George Campbell—having first encountered his work in the window of Victor Waddington’s gallery on South Anne Street, she found Gerard Dillon to be the more patient teacher. Her visit to Roundstone is reflected in paintings she exhibited at the IELA in 1955 and at the Dublin Painters Gallery in 1956. Further speculation on the other identities in Tea Party concluded from left to right: Molly Dillon, the artist’s sister; Alice Cashel; Pamela Matthews; and George and Madge Campbell. The proximity of the two male sitters nearest the viewer suggest they are friends. The glimpse of overalls beneath the jacket of the male sitter positioned beside the artist may be a local resident or perhaps a friend from London— assisting Dillon with house repairs. Such ambiguity is a feature of Dillon’s work and reinforces the sense that some domestic interior scenes blend personal relationships with elements of everyday life, leaving aspects of the narrative deliberately open to intrepretation. In 1993 , Tea Party was included in a list of works which went for sale at Sotheby’s in London. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s decision to sell 31 works from its collec- tion sparked considerable controversy when it emerged that all of its paintings by Gerard Dillon were to be sold. Particular concern centred on the proposed sale of his iconic Self-Contained Flat . In response to public protest, the painting was ultimately withdrawn and its ownership transferred to the Ulster Museum. Interestingly, Self-Contained Flat and Tea Party represent Dillon’s two different lives in London and Roundstone when they were exhibited at the IELA in 1955. Together they reveal the duality of his role as both an artist and a paint- er-decorator. The relationship between Dillon’s work as a painter-decorator and his development as an artist emerge in a small number of works from this period which demon- strates a need to reassess this aspect of his west of Ireland interiors. They point to the extent to which his skills as both craftsman and creative artist were integral to his practice. Karen Reihill, April 2026 Karen Reihill is currently re-examining key aspects of Gerard Dillon’s life and work.