‘In art, you need resilience, but there many benefits’

Regan Kelly

Bringing art to life is no easy feat, but when you have dedicated your entire life to it, anything is possible, and that is what Westmeath Woman Geraldine O’Reilly has done.

Geraldine grew up in Rathwire, where her father was the principal of national school; she said it was “a fantastic childhood, growing up in Rathwire.”

From a young age, Geraldine had artistic tendencies and after primary school, she attended Columba College in Killucan, before moving to Dublin to work with the Bank of Ireland. She studied part-time at night at the National College of Art and Design.

After some time, Geraldine moved to studying full-time, specialising in painting, drawing, and photography.

In the 1980s, she was invited to the US to give a talk on the Arts Council murals and was offered a job in New York City. She ended up staying in America for six years, but Ireland was always calling her home.

“As an artist, I don’t miss it. There was little support for Irish artists in America at that time. It was a difficult time, having to work part-time jobs as well as studying. Although I was always interested in what was happening in Ireland, with the history and so on.

“I was probably meant to be back in a funny sort of way, and I haven’t regretted it. In Ireland, we have a deep understanding of art, as it has played a vital role in much of our culture.”

Geraldine believes that visual art is important to society and beneficial for all involved, and it also highlights local stories.

“It’s a positive thing, it really does no harm to anyone. It can highlight things to people; the energy that comes off good artwork is important.

“A lot of my work revolves around Irish history and local history. Recently, I did a commission for the new school in Rathwire, which analysed the archaeology, history, and folklore of the area.

“That was important to me, as it helps illustrate and highlight the area, as a lot of children’s parents might not be from here.”

Geraldine’s interest in local history comes from her father, and she has fond memories of exploring it with him. “My father was a teacher, and he used to take us to historical sites.

I have always had a big interest in local history and archaeology – so much so that I did a commission with Offaly County Council about the Royal Canal, looking at the working life of the canal, delving into the National Archives for research.”

Geraldine is a proud Westmeath Woman, and the Lake County and its landscape often influence her work: “Westmeath has been influential in my work.

For instance, during the fleadh in Mullingar, I created a woodblock poster of all the past traditional musicians from the county, which is now hanging in Áras an Mhuilinn.

“Even in my personal life , when I have visitors over, I always take them to places like Tullynally Castle and Belvedere to show them what we have. Recently, I took some friends on a tour of the Hill of Uisneach, which, as usual, was very interesting.

“Really, though, Westmeath is so important to me for so many reasons, but it’s what we have to share that is most important.”

Social media facilitated learning and promotion is now easier than ever, and Geraldine offered some advice to those who are choosing the arts as a future path. “It’s a tough career, and it can be extremely hard to make a living. Like many careers in the creative industry, you have to accept that rejection is constant – like an actor.

“You are constantly rejected, but it’s not all for bad reasons. It might just be that someone doesn’t like the subject matter or style.

I still get rejected, even though I’ve been at this 40 years.

“You have to be resilient, but there are so many benefits to it. In my case, a girl from Rathwire gets to go to New York, or has a collection of work in Tasmania, and these are opportunities I never would have had if I’d continued working in the bank.”