06 March 2025
Artist Conor Gallagher Showcases ‘Sligo Mountain Series’ at Sligo Credit Union
Celebrated local talent brings a captivating collection inspired by Sligo’s landscapes to the heart of the community.
Conor Gallagher, originally from Sligo, is a graphic designer and artist living and working in Dublin. He grew up within shouting distance of the Showgrounds, represented Sligo in Art in the U-12 National Community Games where he won a bronze medal, and went to Sligo Grammar School where his father Lionel was a teacher and Vice-Principal.
He has been a Credit Union member for over thirty-five years and a loan in the early 1990s helped him buy an early Apple Mac for his design business, with 4MB of RAM and a 40MB hard drive.
Conor took up painting again in 2008 and exhibited in places from a remote island in Denmark to the Royal Academy in London. He spent a year in residence in The Model Arts studios in Sligo in 2010-11 and had on-site exhibitions at the Hawk’s Rock, Coolaney and The Lovers’ Tree, Dooney Wood as part of Culture Night. A recent exhibition in Dublin, ‘Shore’ was based on the Sligo coastline.
In July 2024, he jointly won the Hamilton Award at Cairde Visual with David Smith for two of his Sligo Mountain paintings series, ‘Copes’ and ‘Glencar’. Conor and David will have a joint exhibition at The Hamilton Gallery from May 24th to June 27th, 2025 and Conor’s show ‘Elevation’ will feature a range of photography, printmaking, drawings, and paintings from his Sligo Mountain series.
Sharlene and Nathan Kemple getting the artwork ready for display at Sligo Credit Union
The Sligo Mountain series started with journeys around Teesan, Carncash, Rahabarna and Kiltycooly where there are remarkable up-close views of the Darty Mountain range. The series includes 5 paintings each 30 x 30cm, shown previously in the Hamilton Gallery, which together tell a Sligo story.
A conversation with Shona Heffernan, Secretary of Sligo Credit Union, led to the opportunity to display the set of 5 paintings in the busy Wine Street Credit Union branch, where they are already generating local discussion. Sligo Credit Union is uniquely tied to its Community and Shona said “The paintings are really about a sense of place. Something which this Credit Union comprehensively reflects.”
Nigel Greene, a member of the Front Counter Team in Sligo Credit Union, is only one of two sheep farmers with grazing rights on these mountains. On first seeing the paintings, he recognised and named every rock and brae and he said he felt they captured the beauty of the place.
Nigel Greene
Dr Marion Dowd, ATU, said “The mountain scenes are all related to Sligo’s Noble Six. ‘Sligo Mountain II’ shows where four were killed and ‘Sligo Mountain IV’ shows the cliffs that supposedly collapsed in sympathy just before their execution”.
The paintings are for sale and Conor is anxious that they are kept as a set and preferably find a home in their native Sligo. They will be hanging at Sligo Credit Union until the Summer and even if you are not yet a member, you are welcome to call in and have a look at these unique views of the Sligo Mountains.
Sligo Credit Union on Wine Street is open Tues & Weds (9.30am - 4pm), Thurs & Fri (9.30am - 4.30pm), and Sat (9am-1.30pm).
You can see more of Conor’s artwork at www.conorgallagher.com.
