Major exhibition of maritime paintings at Bantry House

John Mullins, chairman of Bantry Bay Port Company, Cllr Mary Hegarty, Brigitte Shelswell White, Bantry House, and Francis Humphreys, West Cork Music, at the launch of the paintings. (Photo: Tony McElhinney)

THE Port of Cork Maritime Collection, an exhibition of maritime-themed paintings and models, has opened at Bantry House.

The exhibition, which will run until June 28th, will showcase a selection of the Port’s historic maritime art pieces, dating back to the 1800s.

Highlights of the collection include a number of paintings by marine artist George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson and Robert Lowe Stopford. Stopford is known for his series of panoramic views of Queenstown, now Cobh.

This exhibition offers the public a chance to view this one of a kind collection of paintings which is usually housed in the Port’s headquarters in Custom House.

In 2005, to celebrate Cork’s year as Capital of Culture, the Port of Cork hosted an exhibition of maritime art dating back to the 1700s which drew hundreds of visitors from far and wide. In 2010, paintings also went on loan to Dachau museum for an exhibition which formed part of a year-long commemoration of the life and works of renowned Cork composer and conductor Aloys Fleischmann.

In April 2012 the paintings went on loan to Belfast Port to form part of their ‘Kings of the Tides’ exhibition and in June of that year, the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh hosted a month-long exhibition of the collection.

Speaking about the exhibition, chief executive of the Port of Cork Brendan Keating said the Port of Cork Company, together with Bantry Bay Port Company, was delighted to share the collection with the people of Bantry and indeed the wider West Cork area.

‘These works give us a glimpse of how our harbour has changed over the years and also reminds us of the rich history of Cork’s shipping business. I would like to thank Bantry House for hosting our collection and to Peter Murray and the Crawford Gallery for making this exhibition possible,’ he said.

Bantry House owner Brigitte Shelswell-White said that hosting the wonderful collection of maritime paintings would add greatly to the enjoyment of visiting the house and its garden.

For the months of June, July and August, Bantry House will be open 7 days a week from 10am – 5pm.