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.
Original SOLD at Gallery 1608, Bushmills, Co. Antrim