WIDDESS Pharmacy had sold five paintings to bank in excess of €1000 prior to Roches Street Traders Art Festival being launched on Monday last. Even as Barry Murphy and Keith Earls filed in to Eve’s with Mayor Maria Byrne (contributing artist), the tills were alive with the sound of sales  from a pool of 50 artists.

James Walsh of Fine Wines poured as flush feelings flowed. “We raised €6,000 to €7,000 last year and have raised more than €100,000 for charity in our nine years of the festival,” Michael Murphy of the traders’ committee told Limerick Post.

MIC’s McAuley medal for Stuart

“Imogen Stuart’s unique contribution to the arts in Ireland has been the re-invention and re-invigoration of religious art through a remarkable fusion of early Christian imagery, German Romanesque art and Twentieth Century European Expressionism.  Imogen Stuart has been a unifying force in Irish art and, correspondingly, in Irish society itself”.