Whyte's IMPORTANT IRISH ART 6 MARCH 2023 AT 6PM

48 35 Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) THE END OF THE FAIR, CONNEMARA, 1974 oil on board signed lower right; signed, titled, dated and with Dawson Gallery label on reverse 16 by 30in. (40.6 by 76.2cm) Frame Size: 23 by 37in. (58.4 by 94cm) The Artist loved painting the “doings” of the small farmers in Connemara, and the Cattle fairs and the Horse fairs were always of interest to him. This was especially so in Clifden and Roundstone due to the scale of the buildings in both towns compared to the humans moving about them. He oft remarked that they were like “Cliffs” towering over the people who inhabited them or who moved through them going about their daily business. The satisfaction on the transactions achieved are evident in the stance of the Sellers and Buyers of the “post market” sales. The tall figure on the right of the composition was a sheep farmer from near the Hill of Doon, overlooking Oughterard lake and he often met him at the gate of Walter Macken’s home, nearer to Oughterard, when he (the “Sheepman”) was doing a day’s fishing on the lake. I think he the “Sheepman” was either a Blake or a Joyce, more likely the latter. I can recall the artist being staggered on being told that he “lambed” in mid-January and early February, and that at a good lambing time he’d 600 ewes in lamb. I remember that the same Sheepman bought good cattle and sheep from our neighbours in the townland of Faul, where the artist and his wife had a cottage. They, Maggie Conneely and Bella and Festy Conneely - smallholders on very good limestone land - always had the great and good of “Joyce Country” anxious to buy their beasts either for their own holdings or for the Great Sheepmen from the County Meath who’d descend on certain fairs when they knew our neighbours were selling, based on information supplied by the “runners”. In this work, the successful and possibly the less successful sellers were having a “deoch” or ten outside Mannions. The Buyers or their Agents would visit each of the 20 or so public houses in the town to stand rounds of stout, and port for the ladies. They’d be accompanied by their “runners”who held the “Mála”(a kind of pouch not unlike a long pipe tobacco pouch) with the cash, - English and Irish notes and Dollars - any man, boy or child who’d helped was remembered. Toby Joyce, a noted local sheep and cattle buyer and agent with lands in Westmeath as well, remarked to me one day that the “runners”were like flower seeds...the young ones will flower in their day too and be of use”; local knowledge was a great help against the incoming cattle and sheep buyers’ agents. The intensity and depth of emotion and language used was operatic in its scale: “advance”, “retreat”, sideways looks, re-advance and when closure of the deal seemed likely the buyers and sellers fell into the last part in Irish: “h’anum an Diabhal feach! Tóg é... agus luck penny duit fhéin…”marked it’s Wagnerian outcome. If, on the other hand, it was not a success the remark would be made “ Feach anois a bhuacall... let’s meet in EJ’s and we’ll fix it….as Herself won’t care for it if you go home without...ye’ll be WITHOUT then me boyo..” ( EJ Kings of Castle House was on the corner of Main and Market Streets opposite Mrs. Foyle’s Hotel). The artist painted many scenes on those corners over the years. This work is packed with the intensity of these momentous events of the late Spring Fair of 1974; the operatic nature of the unfolding tales would result in the artist coming home exhausted with the drama of the transactions and his own efforts in painting the unfolding story to its end. These Halcyon days were filled with endless cups of tea and cigarettes for the Artist. ...or so he always said ‘twas the case. Ciarán MacGonigal Mí na Féile Bríd 2023 €8,000-€12,000 (£7,080-£10,620 approx.) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot35