Gallery's move from Glengarriff will add to ‘cosmopolitan' Skibbereen

THERE is more good news on the cards for Skibbereen following confirmation that the Catherine Hammond Gallery is relocating to the busy market town.

For the past twelve years, the gallery has operated in Glengarriff, but after hosting a pop-up gallery in Skibbereen during the 2015 Arts Festival, Catherine Hammond was so impressed with the positive energy in the town that she decided to relocate the gallery.  

It is perhaps Munster’s pre-eminent contemporary art gallery and features work by some of Ireland’s most respected visual artists.

Its relocation to a building that commands pride of place adjacent to the Church Restaurant, the entrance to the Fairfield car park, and the Saturday market, is being eagerly awaited.

Like the move by Carmel Somers of the ‘Good Things’ café – a new business that is due to open shortly – the art gallery will add to the cosmopolitan nature of the town.

The gallery will be open in time for the Patrick’s Day weekend celebrations in mid-March and will offer a series of regularly changing shows, as well as a wide inventory of paintings, sculpture, prints and drawings by established and emerging artists.

Catherine told The Southern Star: ‘All of West Cork has a very dynamic arts scene, but there is a growing critical mass for culture now in Skibbereen.  

‘On a rainy afternoon, if you’re looking for something interesting to do indoors, you can have a lovely time at Uillin, my gallery, the Time Traveller’s Bookstore and Morgan O’Driscoll’s auction house. There are also loads of great places to enjoy a coffee and lunch. What more do you need to have a great day out?’