Manus Walsh

Manus Walsh was born in Dublin in 1940. He first worked in a Dublin graphic studio in 1959 and then in Abbey Stained Glass Studios, Dublin in 1960 where his initial training began in the field of stained glass. During his time there, one of his main commissions was five windows for Galway Cathedral. It was at this time the met the Irish Artist, George Campbell who encouraged him to pursue a full time career as a painter. After spending a period in Spain with George and Madge, Manus had his first exhibition in the Dublin Paintings Gallery, Stephen Green in 1967. He returned to Malaga in Spain the following year for a short period, returning to Ireland to hold his next exhibition in Dublin. Since then his has had over 30 exhibitions and has exhibited in numerous group shows.

Manus moved to England in 1969 and worked in London as an international telephone operator for one year. He married Clare Lenehan in 1970 and they moved to a cottage in Shankill, Dublin where he worked as a draughtsman in Cullens Monumental Sculptors. His daughter Ciara was born in February 1971 whilst Manus was working as a freelance designer/artist. Nadine was born in August 1972 and Cormac in March 1974. In 1976 Manus and his family moved to Ballyvaughan in North Clare where they set up a Craft Workshop/Gallery and son Neil was born in July in 1982.

The Burren in Clare has had a major influence on his life and work, and he has produced many works featuring this dramatic landscape. Another influence in his work has been the city of Valparaiso in Chile, and in recent works he has contrasted the colourful vertical kaleidoscope of that city, with the dramatic horizontal lines of the Burren.

His grandfather was the distinguished writer Maurice Walsh. Manus is an accomplished musician on piano and guitar. He is blessed with a great sense of humour, enjoys a drink, cycling around the Burren and a good book. A gentle man, he has been known to get animated when talking about the the Burren or the Clare Hurling Team.

Selected Exhibitions:

1967: Dublin Painters Gallery
1968: R.H.A. Gallery, Dublin
1969: R.H.A. Gallery, Dublin
1973: Project Arts Society Centre, Dublin
1974: Cork Arts Society Gallery, Cork
1975: Caldwell Gallery, Dublin
1978: The Kenny Gallery, Galway
1979: Cork Arts Society Gallery, Cork
1981: Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare
1983: The Kenny Gallery, Galway
1983: Brogan Gallery, Ennis
1984: Brogan Gallery, Ennis
1984: The Kenny Gallery, Galway
1984: Ennistymon Arts Festival
1986: Kenny Gallery, Galway
1987: Listowel Writers Week
1988: Ballyvaughan Gallery, Co. Clare
1991: The Kenny Gallery, Galway
1991: Goethe Gallery, Santiago & Vina Del Mar & Santiago, Chile
1992: Riverrun Gallery, Dublin
1993: Sligo Art Gallery, Sligo
1997: Centro Cultural, Vina del Mar, Chile
1998: The Kenny Gallery, Galway
1998: Dyehouse Gallery, Waterford
1999: Lavitt Gallery, Cork
2001: La Sebastiana, Valparaiso
2001: Origin Gallery, Dublin
2002: Mrua Gallery, Bellharbour
2002: The Kenny Gallery, Galway 'Retrospective'

Selected Group Shows:

1971:	Dual Show, Caldwell Gallery, Belfast with George Walsh
1999:	Project Arts Centre, Dublin
	Western Artists, Galway Arts Festival
	Spain by Irish Artists, Galway
	'The Tree', Limerick
	'Musicians', The Kenny Gallery, Galway
	'Portraits', The Kenny Gallery, Galway
	'Islands', An Dámhlann Gallery, Spiddal, Co. Galway
	Stained Glass Exhibition, An Dámhlann Gallery, Spiddal, Co. Galway
1987 & 1989:	Enamel Bienalle, Laval, Canada

Collections:

The Arts Council
Office of Public Works
Insurance Corporation of Ireland etc.

Works in Private Collections:

France, Germany, Spain, Chile, USA, Canada, England, Italy, Scotland etc.