Spinster, Rake and Lover

oil, 46 x 61 cm © Fergus A Ryan, 2017

"Sheepswool, straw and droppings cover

Graves of spinster, rake and lover,

Whose fantastic mausoleum

Sings its own seablown Te Deum,

In and out the slipping slates."


From John Betjeman's Ireland With Emily


Hundreds of these Church of Ireland 'Firstfruits' churches dot the Irish landscape. With the decline of the Irish Protestant popuation many are now just sanctuaries of forgotten stories.

(placeholder)
(placeholder)

Original SOLD at Gallery 1608, Bushmills, Co. Antrim

(placeholder)