Maurice MacGonigal Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Maurice MacGonigal Art Value Price Guide

May. 27, 2026
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) ‘Turf Girl, by the Sea, Connemara’ Oil on board, 39 x 30cm (15¼ x 11¾) Signed Provenance: Collection of Fr. Eric MacFhinn, Galway (Patron of the arts and noted scholar) Maurice MacGonigal was bo
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) ‘Turf Girl, by the Sea, Connemara’ Oil on board, 39 x 30cm (15¼ x 11¾) Signed Provenance: Collection of Fr. Eric MacFhinn, Galway (Patron of the arts and noted scholar) Maurice MacGonigal was born into a family of artists in the suburb of Ranelagh, Co. Dublin in the year 1900. His father was a painter decorator from County Sligo and his uncle on his mother’s side was the illustrious stained glass artist Joshua Clarke (c.1868-1921). MacGonigal then was naturally predisposed to an artistic trade and enjoyed an apprenticeship in the Joshua Clarke & Sons studios of Dublin from the age of 15. During this period MacGonigal was also enlisted to Fianna Éireann in 1917 and was active during the War of Independence, culminating in his internment in 1920 for one year. On his release and with evident talent, he attended the Metropolitan School of Art throughout the period of 1923 to 1926. His education here exposed him to the influence of his tutor Seán Keating (1899-1977) whose blend of Social Realism and Romanticism can clearly be identified in the work here presented. MacGonigal exhibited frequently at the RHA, submitting on average five paintings a year before his eventual Presidency of the Academy from 1962 until 1977 - a role he inherited directly from Keating. The Artist’s fascination with the West of Ireland was purportedly ignited after a trip to the Aran Islands in 1924, at least in part inspired by the striking depictions of the islands he saw reflected in Keating’s work. Turf Girl, By The Sea, Connemara presents the viewer with a single figure in a landscape, very much in the tradition of his tutor, who had incidentally paid his first visit to the Island with Harry Clarke in 1912. The female subject in her striking red woollen skirt is crucial to the iconography of the West of Ireland. Historically the woollen petticoats were dyed with madder root and the resulting crimson ensemble contrasted beautifully against the cornflower blue mountains and the green patchwork of the small landholdings. Naturally therefore, the Irish Gleaner in her red petticoats has appeared throughout the works of landscape ‘Greats’ Sir William Orpen, RA RHA (1876-1931), Paul Henry RHA (1877-1958),　 Charles Lamb RHA RUA (1893-1964) and Seán O’Sullivan RHA (1906-1964) to name but a few. MacGonigal’s interpretation of the scene follows this established tradition but notably presents the subject in a full length portrait, centred triumphantly against a cirrus speckled sky and a glittering sea. She stands authoritatively against her spade, her hand resting on her hip, supported by strong legs and sturdy black boots. The heavy black leather boots are particularly well delineated and despite the subject’s charming and youthful face, she has an uncommonly commanding presence in that landscape. MacGonigal’s interpretation of the young labourer is likely influenced by his alternative employments as a poster and set designer for the Abbey Theatre as well as his early years in the glass studios of Joshua Clarke & Sons. He has presented the scene in a reduced palette of reds and blues, and the resulting picture is remarkably conducive to interpretation in these mediums. The breadth of the sky is accentuated due to the elliptical sweep of titanium white that aligns with the perfectly centred figure to create of halo effect. Above this ellipse, a shimmering concentration of small brushstrokes mimics the swift transition of the early morning clouds, a technique which is echoed in the glimmering waves beneath. The comparatively flat panes of red, blue, black and white used in the Turf Girl’s clothing recalls the typical palette of ecclesiastical windows. It is therefore impossible to ignore McGonigal’s formative training as a stained glass designer in the studio of his uncle. Neither can we deny his aptitude for creating a distinctly Irish iconography – incentivised by his early education in the Metropolitan School of Art and his lifelong interest in the concept of Irish Nationhood and cultural identify. Stephanie Brennan, April 2026
Adam's
Apr. 15, 2026
MAURICE MACGONIGAL, P.R.H.A. (IRISH, 1900-1979). Aran Folk: Three panels fr
Est: £18,000 - £25,000
MAURICE MACGONIGAL, P.R.H.A. (IRISH, 1900-1979). Aran Folk: Three panels from the Runnymede Commission. oil on canvas laid down on boardthe central panel, 40 ½ x 73 in. (102.9 x 185.5 cm.); the two side panels, 43 ¼ x 63 ¾ in. (109.8 x 162 cm.)(3).
Christie's
Mar. 09, 2026
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) CRUCIFIXION, 1943
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) CRUCIFIXION, 1943 oil on canvas signed lower right h:38 w:40 in. Exhibited: RHA, Dublin, 1943, catalogue no. 86
Whyte's
Nov. 26, 2025
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Balscadden, Howth (1935) Watercolour, 35 x 45cm (13¾ x 17¾) Signed and dated 1935
Est: €1,000 - €2,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Balscadden, Howth (1935) Watercolour, 35 x 45cm (13¾ x 17¾) Signed and dated 1935
Adam's
Nov. 26, 2025
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Strand, Fahamore() Co. Kerry (Mount Brandon) Oil on board, 61 x 71cm (24 x 28) Signed; also signed, indistinctly inscribed and with personal dedication from the artist verso Provenance: Private Collecti
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Strand, Fahamore() Co. Kerry (Mount Brandon) Oil on board, 61 x 71cm (24 x 28) Signed; also signed, indistinctly inscribed and with personal dedication from the artist verso Provenance: Private Collection, Dublin
Adam's
Nov. 26, 2025
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Green Landscape, Connemara (above Shanaheever) Oil on board, 61 x 71cm (24 x 28) Signed; also signed and inscribed verso Provenance: With The Dawson Gallery, Dublin; Collection Anita Shelbourne; Private
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Green Landscape, Connemara (above Shanaheever) Oil on board, 61 x 71cm (24 x 28) Signed; also signed and inscribed verso Provenance: With The Dawson Gallery, Dublin; Collection Anita Shelbourne; Private Collection, Dublin
Adam's
Sep. 29, 2025
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) PORTMARNOCK SKETCH, 1942
Est: €2,500 - €3,500
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) PORTMARNOCK SKETCH, 1942 oil on panel signed lower right; signed, titled and dated on reverse h:12 w:16 in. Born in Dublin, a cousin of artist Harry Clarke, MacGonigal, began work as an apprenctice in his uncle Joshua Clarke's stained-glass studio in North Frederick Street. From 1917 he was a member of Na Fianna Eireann, and after being interned firstly in Kilmainham Jail and later at Ballykinlar Camp, Co. Down, he took up evening art classes at the Dublin Metropolitan School. He won the Taylor Scholarship in 1924, and in the same year exhibited at the RHA for the first time. After a trip to Holland in 1927 to study painting, he returned to Dublin to teach art at the RHA's schools and as a relief teacher at the DMSA. He was made a full member of the RHA in 1933 and served as the Academy's Keeper; 1936-1939 and 1950-1961. In 1962 he was made President, an office he held until 1977. MacGonigal's choice of subject matter was influenced by Sean Keating: early life in the west of Ireland. His work is now represented in all major collections in Ireland.
Whyte's
Sep. 16, 2025
MAURICE MACGONIGAL PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900 - 1979)
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Title: Celtic Battle Scene Medium: Gouache Signature: Signed Lower Right Provenance: The Ritche Hendrick's Gallery, Dublin (Framing Label Verso); Private Collection Framed Lot Description: Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900–1979), Chariot Battle Scene, gouache and ink on paper, signed lower right. A vivid, panoramic composition portraying a dramatic battle scene with a horse-drawn chariot, fallen figures, spears, and warriors in motion. Rendered in MacGonigal’s experimental modernist style, the work blends narrative figuration with expressive abstraction. Dynamic forms, gestural linework, and a bold palette of blacks, yellows, reds, and blues create a sense of chaos and movement, while identifiable elements—figures with shields, spears, and classical attire—evoke a mythological or heroic narrative. A rare and striking example of MacGonigal’s interest in storytelling through abstract form. Framed in a deep navy mount with gold fillet and glazed gilt frame. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 16th September 2025 18:26:40
Sheppards
Mar. 03, 2025
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) KERRY SUNSET
Est: €2,500 - €3,500
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) KERRY SUNSET oil on board signed lower right h:12 w:15.50 in. Provenance: Whyte's, 10 October 2000, lot 100; Private collection; Adam's, 27 March 2019, lot 51, as Coastal Scene; Private collection
Whyte's
Mar. 03, 2025
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) DOE CASTLE, COUNTY DONEGAL
Est: €2,500 - €3,500
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) DOE CASTLE, COUNTY DONEGAL oil on board signed lower right; inscribed and with original exhibition labels on reverse h:16 w:20 in. Provenance: Dawson Gallery, Dublin; Taylor de Veres, 14 March, 1989, lot 31; Oriel Gallery, Dublin; Private collection Exhibited: 'Exhibition of Paintings of Donegal Interest', County Donegal Arts Committee, date unknown, loaned by Ciaran MacGonigal; 'Maurice MacGonigal RHA (1900-1979)', Taylor Galleries, Dublin, 27 November to 12 December 1981, catalogue no. 46
Whyte's
Dec. 02, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN, 1918
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN, 1918 oil on board signed lower right; signed, titled and dated on reverse h:19.75 w:29.75 in. Provenance: Collection of Bank of Ireland
Whyte's
Dec. 02, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) MID-DAY, CLIFDEN, CONNEMARA
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) MID-DAY, CLIFDEN, CONNEMARA oil on board signed lower right; titled on Dawson Gallery label on reverse h:18 w:27.25 in. Provenance: Collection of Bank of Ireland The artist had gone into the town to paint a view from Christ Church which is on a hillock overlooking the town. There was a wedding being celebrated and so he couldn't proceed, and instead came down the hill (from the old school on Churchill to beside Joyce's newspaper shop). As it happened the Galway Bus had been involved in an accident outside Peacock's Bar on the Recess side, so knowing he'd a few hours in which to work he set up at the bottom of the hill, as it afforded the best "long view" from the Square, including part of Main Street, and the wider view down Market Street. Clifden had been built in a triangle of three streets, with the houses on the right of Market Street being very tall and acting as a bulwark of what were really cliffside dwellings and shops protecting the town streets from the winds which blew up over the town from the harbour which lay far below it. One can still see the plunging shapes of the gardens as one approaches the town from the Ardbear road leading to the town, and past on the righthand side the remains of the earliest hydro-electric scheme built by one of King family (Castle House & Vintners at the junction of Main Street and Market and the Millers (weavers) also on Main Street. As nobody was about for quite some time the artist had almost no interruptions as he painted. The sun overhead leant an odd, almost a "mirage like" effect to the entire assemblage of buildings with a glistering reflection of the street's surface. The foreground figure is a young female singer of "Sean Nós" who would appear from Derrygimlagh from time to time. The queue outside the butcher's shop on the left with a Garda on duty plus the disconsolate female figure wandering around awaiting the bus gives scale to the external of the houses on the street, notably the towering forms to the chimneys on what were planned as superior town residences for the intended professional types invited by the D'Arcy's to live there. The onslaught of the Irish Famines which hit Connemara several times from the 1820s put paid to that. The D'Arcy family (who'd built the town) gave way to the Eyres and they in turn occupied the Castle until the collapse of that Estate, but it did remain in private ownership until about 1898; thereafter it was more or less abandoned as was the town harbour (more recently semi revived.) The railway was given to the area in 1895 but only lasted about 35 years. The town still has, despite more modern interventions, a wistful air which continues to beguile the visitor. The artist, who'd known the area well since the 1920s remained in thrall to the town and that broader part of North Connemara for virtually all his long painting life. He always said that the light in Connemara was a miracle of nature, constantly changing from the silvery dawn to the purples of evening. He did remark when he'd finished and we were packing away his palette and painting box, that he wouldn't mind another few bus accidents at Peacock's so he could paint the town in peace (mid-morning being the steadiest light in Connemara; that evening and afternoon "light" is too fugitive for a plein air painter). The artist and his wife died in the same year and were buried in Connemara looking out to Sea. Ciarán MacGonigal, November 2024
Whyte's
Dec. 02, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) NIGHT, KERRY
Est: €1,500 - €2,000
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) NIGHT, KERRY oil on board signed lower left; titled on Dawson Gallery label on reverse h:11.50 w:16 in.
Whyte's
Oct. 24, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal (Irish 1900-1979), Man sketchin
Est: £200 - £400
Maurice MacGonigal (Irish 1900-1979), Man sketching, Dunlanghaire, watercolour, signed and dated '78 lower right, 15.5 x 33.5cm. Framed and glazed Under glass, paper slightly discoloured.
Ewbank's
Sep. 30, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) FIGURES AND SAILBOATS WITH A VIEW OF INISHTOOSKERT (INIS TUAISCEART), COUNTY KERRY
Est: €2,500 - €3,500
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) FIGURES AND SAILBOATS WITH A VIEW OF INISHTOOSKERT (INIS TUAISCEART), COUNTY KERRY oil on panel signed lower right; bearing Victor Waddington Galleries label on reverse h:13.50 w:18 in.
Whyte's
Sep. 25, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Dalkey Hill, September Oil on board, 29.5 x 39.5cm (11_ x 15_) Signed and inscribed with title verso
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Dalkey Hill, September Oil on board, 29.5 x 39.5cm (11_ x 15_) Signed and inscribed with title verso
Adam's
May. 29, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Tincéirí, Errisbeg Connemara Oil on board
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Tincéirí, Errisbeg Connemara Oil on board, 51 x 76cm (20 x 30") Signed, Inscribed by the artist’s son, Muiris verso. Gifted by him to the RTE Controller of Programmes, Gunnar Rugheimer in 1966.
Adam's
May. 29, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900 - 1979) Reflections, Early Morning, Clifden, Connemara Oil on board 50 x 75cm (19 ¾ x 29 ½) Signed; also signed and inscribed in the artists hand verso
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900 - 1979) Reflections, Early Morning, Clifden, Connemara Oil on board 50 x 75cm (19 ¾ x 29 ½) Signed; also signed and inscribed in the artists hand verso
Adam's
May. 01, 2024
MAURICE MACGONIGAL R.H.A.
Est: €100 - €150
By the sea. Print. Framed.
Sheppards
Mar. 27, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Hay Harvest, Co. Dublin (1975) Oil on board, 40 x 75cm (15¾ x 29½) Signed; also signed inscribed with titled and dated 1975 verso Provenance: With The Dawson Gallery, Dublin, label verso
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) Hay Harvest, Co. Dublin (1975) Oil on board, 40 x 75cm (15¾ x 29½) Signed; also signed inscribed with titled and dated 1975 verso Provenance: With The Dawson Gallery, Dublin, label verso
Adam's
Mar. 27, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) The Red Cliffs of Dúinín, Co. Kerry Oil on board, 40.5 x 61cm (16 x 24'') Signed; Also signed and inscribed verso Provenance: With Taylor Galleries, Dublin
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900-1979) The Red Cliffs of Dúinín, Co. Kerry Oil on board, 40.5 x 61cm (16 x 24'') Signed; Also signed and inscribed verso Provenance: With Taylor Galleries, Dublin
Adam's
Mar. 11, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) CONNEMARA, 1948
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) CONNEMARA, 1948 oil on canvas signed lower left; signed, titled and dated on reverse; also with Lincoln Gallery label on reverse h:20 w:24 in. With a letter of authentication from the artist's son, Ciaran MacGonigal.
Whyte's
Mar. 11, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) RAINSTORM, CLOGHERHEAD, COUNTY LOUTH, 1942
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) RAINSTORM, CLOGHERHEAD, COUNTY LOUTH, 1942 oil on board signed lower left; signed, titled and dated on reverse h:11.50 w:15.75 in. Provenance: Adam's, 6 December 2010, lot 2; Private collection
Whyte's
Mar. 11, 2024
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) NIGHT, KERRY
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) NIGHT, KERRY oil on board signed lower left; titled on Dawson Gallery label on reverse h:11.50 w:16 in.
Whyte's
Dec. 06, 2023
Maurice MacGonigal P.R.H.A (1900-1979) Boatyard Oil on board, 45 x 60cm (17¾ x 23½) Signed
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Maurice MacGonigal P.R.H.A (1900-1979) Boatyard Oil on board, 45 x 60cm (17¾ x 23½) Signed
Adam's
Dec. 06, 2023
Maurice Mac Gonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Heading Home, West of Ireland Oil on canvas, 38 x 55.8cm (15 x 22) Signed Provenance: Private Collection, Dublin
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Maurice Mac Gonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Heading Home, West of Ireland Oil on canvas, 38 x 55.8cm (15 x 22) Signed Provenance: Private Collection, Dublin
Adam's
Nov. 07, 2023
MAURICE MACGONIGAL PRHA (1900 - 1979)
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
The Woods of Faul, Connemara. Signed bottom left. Oil on board. Framed Provenance: The Dr. Kevin Moynihan Collection, Macroom, Co. Cork. Approximate Time: 12:23 Lot No: 196
Sheppards
Oct. 02, 2023
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) ERELOUGH, CONNEMARA, 1954
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) ERELOUGH, CONNEMARA, 1954 oil on board signed lower left; signed, titled and dated on reverse (concealed by frame) h:14 w:18 in. Provenance: Oriel Gallery, Dublin; Private collection
Whyte's
Sep. 27, 2023
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Harvest Connemara Watercolour, 24 x 37cm (9½ x 14½) Signed and dated (19)'74
Est: €600 - €800
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Harvest Connemara Watercolour, 24 x 37cm (9½ x 14½) Signed and dated (19)'74
Adam's
Sep. 27, 2023
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900 - 1979) Autumn Fair Day, Clifden, Connemara (1972) Oil on board 32 x 96.5cm (12½ x 38) Signed, also signed, inscribed and dated 1972 verso
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA (1900 - 1979) Autumn Fair Day, Clifden, Connemara (1972) Oil on board 32 x 96.5cm (12½ x 38) Signed, also signed, inscribed and dated 1972 verso
Adam's
Mar. 06, 2023
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) THE END OF THE FAIR, CONNEMARA, 1974
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) THE END OF THE FAIR, CONNEMARA, 1974 oil on board signed lower right; signed, titled, dated and with Dawson Gallery label on reverse h:16 w:30 in. The Artist loved painting the "doings" of the small farmers in Connemara, and the Cattle fairs and the Horse fairs were always of interest to him. This was especially so in Clifden and Roundstone due to the scale of the buildings in both towns compared to the humans moving about them. He oft remarked that they were like "Cliffs" towering over the people who inhabited them or who moved through them going about their daily business. The satisfaction on the transactions achieved are evident in the stance of the Sellers and Buyers of the "post market" sales. The tall figure on the right of the composition was a sheep farmer from near the Hill of Doon, overlooking Oughterard lake and he often met him at the gate of Walter Macken's home, nearer to Oughterard, when he (the "Sheepman") was doing a day's fishing on the lake. I think he the "Sheepman" was either a Blake or a Joyce, more likely the latter. I can recall the artist being staggered on being told that he "lambed" in mid-January and early February, and that at a good lambing time he'd 600 ewes in lamb. I remember that the same Sheepman bought good cattle and sheep from our neighbours in the townland of Faul, where the artist and his wife had a cottage. They, Maggie Conneely and Bella and Festy Conneely - smallholders on very good limestone land - always had the great and good of "Joyce Country" anxious to buy their beasts either for their own holdings or for the Great Sheepmen from the County Meath who'd descend on certain fairs when they knew our neighbours were selling, based on information supplied by the "runners". In this work, the successful and possibly the less successful sellers were having a "deoch" or ten outside Mannions. The Buyers or their Agents would visit each of the 20 or so public houses in the town to stand rounds of stout, and port for the ladies. They'd be accompanied by their "runners" who held the "Mála"(a kind of pouch not unlike a long pipe tobacco pouch) with the cash, - English and Irish notes and Dollars - any man, boy or child who'd helped was remembered. Toby Joyce, a noted local sheep and cattle buyer and agent with lands in Westmeath as well, remarked to me one day that the "runners" were like flower seeds...the young ones will flower in their day too and be of use"; local knowledge was a great help against the incoming cattle and sheep buyers' agents. The intensity and depth of emotion and language used was operatic in its scale: "advance", "retreat", sideways looks, re-advance and when closure of the deal seemed likely the buyers and sellers fell into the last part in Irish: "h'anum an Diabhal feach! Tóg é...agus luck penny duit fhéin…" marked it's Wagnerian outcome. If, on the other hand, it was not a success the remark would be made " Feach anois a bhuacall...let's meet in EJ's and we'll fix it….as Herself won't care for it if you go home without...ye'll be WITHOUT then me boyo.." ( EJ Kings of Castle House was on the corner of Main and Market Streets opposite Mrs. Foyle's Hotel). The artist painted many scenes on those corners over the years. This work is packed with the intensity of these momentous events of the late Spring Fair of 1974; the operatic nature of the unfolding tales would result in the artist coming home exhausted with the drama of the transactions and his own efforts in painting the unfolding story to its end. These Halcyon days were filled with endless cups of tea and cigarettes for the Artist. ...or so he always said 'twas the case. Ciarán MacGonigal Mí na Féile Bríd 2023
Whyte's
Mar. 01, 2023
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Clifden Fair, Connemara Pencil and watercolour, 16 x 46.5cm (6½ x 18½) Signed and dated (19)'73
Est: €800 - €1,200
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Clifden Fair, Connemara Pencil and watercolour, 16 x 46.5cm (6½ x 18½) Signed and dated (19)'73
Adam's
Dec. 07, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Roundstone, Connemara Oil on board, 50 x 76cm (20 x 30) Signed
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Roundstone, Connemara Oil on board, 50 x 76cm (20 x 30) Signed
Adam's
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900-1979) "The Lady by the Sea," O.O.B., depicting an attractive young
Est: €3,000 - €4,000
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900-1979) "The Lady by the Sea," O.O.B., depicting an attractive young Lady wearing head scarf, blue cardigan, red skirt and hob nail boots, leaning against a turf shovel standing by the pier with sea behind and currachs and mountains in the distance, signed 'Mac Congail," lower right, approx. 39cms x 30cms (15" x 12") in silver frame. (1) Note: The same Lady in the above painting appears in MacGonigal's work "Cois na Farraige 1 by the Sea" illustrated by the courtesy of Mrs. James Ryan in Victor Waddingtons "Twelve Irish Artists". Provenance: Important Private Collection, West of Ireland.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900–1979) Milking the Cows c. 1934, oils on canvas, 127cms x 86cms (50” x
Est: €7,000 - €9,000
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900–1979) Milking the Cows c. 1934, oils on canvas, 127cms x 86cms (50” x 34”). A spirited and lively painting, this scene of two cows being milked by hand, Milking the Cows, was part of a commission given to Maurice MacGonigal by Patrick and Ellen Rooney, for their house “Runnymede” in Dublin, in the early 1930’s. The composition is dominated by the two cows, their hides depicted by MacGonigal with vigorous brushwork, using colours that include brown and black, but also vivid blue and red, investing this work with an almost Symbolist quality. In the background can be seen a row of traditional thatched cottages and in the distance a range of blue mountains. The cows are being milked by a couple, a man and a woman. Dressed in a bright red dress, with white apron, the woman has her face pressed against the side of the cow. In the foreground, the man, also seen from behind, is dressed in a brown waistcoat and blue trousers. Visitors to the Aran Islands—particularly painters—were entranced by the traditional brightly coloured dress of the islanders, and were saddened when the red woollen skirts and homespun jackets were replaced by mass-produced clothing. The paintings produced by MacGonigal for Runnymede included a large canvas of Aran Islanders, as well as individual works, including Woman at a Spinning Wheel, exhibited at the Gorry Gallery in 1993. Through paintings such as these, MacGonigal, who was from Dublin city, sought to portray traditional life in the west of Ireland, and create a ‘national’ school of painting. Eventually, when Runnymede was sold, the murals were taken down and distributed amongst members of the family. Born in Dublin in 1900, Maurice MacGonigal was educated at Synge Street School before being apprenticed to his uncle Joshua Clarke, the stained-glass manufacturer. Encouraged by the Quaker republican Bulmer Hobson, he enlisted in Na Fianna Eireann, and later became a member of the IRA, participating in the War of Independence. Arrested in 1920, he was interned in Ballykinlar Camp. After his release, he went back to the Clarke studios, but left to take up a scholarship at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, where he studied under Patrick Touhy and Seán Keating, who had both been taught by William Orpen. After a stay with the Van Stockum family in Holland in 1927, MacGonigal returned to Ireland,inspired by the paintings of Van Gogh, and over the following two decades did some of his finest work in the west of Ireland, depicting scenes of everyday life and landscapes. In 1935 he painted a group of his friends, members of the art group known as ‘The Radical Club’. Set in the life drawing room of the National College of Art, this painting, Studio Interior, is in the Limerick City Gallery. He also designed sets for the Abbey Theatre, the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes, and contributed illustrations to the Saorstat Eireann Handbook edited by Bulmer Hobson. In 1939, MacGonigal was commissioned to paint a large mural for the Irish pavilion in the New York World’s Fair, his wife Aida serving as the model for the depiction of ‘America’. From 1924 to 1978, he exhibited regularly at the Royal Hibernian Academy, serving twice as Keeper, and in 1962 was appointed President. He also taught at the National College of Art, where he was Professor of Painting from 1954 to 1969. A retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery in 1991.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900 - 1979) "Feeding Time, Connemara," O.O.B., a busy cottage scene
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900 - 1979) "Feeding Time, Connemara," O.O.B., a busy cottage scene with female figures, geese, donkeys and hens, approx. 30cms x 41cms (12" x 16"), signed lower right, cloth mount, painted frame. (1) Provenance: Important Private Collection, West of Ireland.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900-1979) "Dunquin Pier, Ballyickeen Commons, Co. Kerry," O.O.B., busy
Est: €3,000 - €4,000
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900-1979) "Dunquin Pier, Ballyickeen Commons, Co. Kerry," O.O.B., busy harbour scene with currachs and figures, approx. 36cms x 45cms (14" x 17 1/2) signed lower right, inscribed on reverse, painted frame. (1) Provenance: Important Private Collection, West of Ireland.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA, (1900-1979) "The Cottage Farm," O.O.B., depicting West of Ireland Farm
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA, (1900-1979) "The Cottage Farm," O.O.B., depicting West of Ireland Farm Scene, with potato patch in foreground, farmer and cattle on laneway, cottage in centre, sea in distance with boats, signed lower right, approx. 30cms x 40cms (12" x 16") cloth mount painted frame. (1) Provenance: Important Private Collection, West of Ireland
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900-1979) "West of Ireland, View of Croagh Patrick," O.O.B., extensive
Est: €1,200 - €1,800
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900-1979) "West of Ireland, View of Croagh Patrick," O.O.B., extensive landscape with cottages in the foreground leading down the valley with mountains in the distance, signed in Irish lower left, approx. 34cms x 59cms (13" x 23") mounted, gilt frame. (1)
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonagle, PRHA (1900-1979) "Landscape, Galway," O.O.B., extensive Coastal Scene with
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Maurice MacGonagle, PRHA (1900-1979) "Landscape, Galway," O.O.B., extensive Coastal Scene with fields and stone walls to the front and cottages and figures in the distance and sea beyond, approx. 30cms x 40cms (12" x 16"), signed lower left, inscribed on reverse, gilt frame. (1) Provenance: Important Private Collection, West of Ireland.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigle, PRHA (1900-1979) "Cormorants on the Rocks," O.O.B., an extensive seascape,
Est: €1,500 - €2,000
Maurice MacGonigle, PRHA (1900-1979) "Cormorants on the Rocks," O.O.B., an extensive seascape, with cormorants resting on rocks to the foreground rough seas, and island in the distance, approx. 30cms x 40cms (12" x 16"), signed lower right, indistinct inscription on reverse, Dawson Gallery label in silvered frame. (1) Provenance: Important Private Collection, West of Ireland.
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900 - 1979) "Galway Bay, Connemara," O.O.B., depicting seascape with
Est: €4,000 - €5,000
Maurice MacGonigal, PRHA (1900 - 1979) "Galway Bay, Connemara," O.O.B., depicting seascape with cottages and cattle in foreground, approx. 76cms x 101cms (30" x 40"), signed lower left, cloth mount, painted frame. (1)
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Nov. 16, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900 - 1979) "Fair Day, Clifden, Connemara," 23cms x 35cms (9" x 14"),
Est: €300 - €500
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900 - 1979) "Fair Day, Clifden, Connemara," 23cms x 35cms (9" x 14"), watercolour, with Taylor Gallery Exhibition label verso. (1)
Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
Sep. 28, 2022
*Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Clifden, Connemara Oil on Canvas, 101 x 126cm (39¾ x 49½) Signed, inscribed verso (Painted from the DArcy Monument oer looking the town of Clifden; Monument to John DArcy (1785-1839) the founder &
Est: €15,000 - €20,000
*Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) Clifden, Connemara Oil on Canvas, 101 x 126cm (39¾ x 49½) Signed, inscribed verso (Painted from the DArcy Monument oer looking the town of Clifden; Monument to John DArcy (1785-1839) the founder & owner of the Clifden Estates. The hill is known as Cloghaunard and the monument commenced soon after his death about 1841). The Estate being burdened with pre-existing debts and post famine debts added, it crippled the estate and after DArcys death his son, the Rev Hyacinth DArcy (then Rector of Clifden in the Omey Union) was bankrupted, the estates were sold through the Encumbered Estates to the Eyre family of east County Galway and Bath for £21,245 and again became encumbered with further debts, resold before 1900, and by 1919 acquired locally, the house (Clifden Castle) became ruinous, and the Land Commission redistributed the agricultural land to local farmers following a period of agitation. The artist had frequently painted a view of the town from the vicinity of the monument but never found a day nor time when he could get the pictorial value of a spring tide to give a cohesion of pictorial elements including the distant Twelve Bens. By this I mean that the light and colour as well as reflections from the inrushing water were not all present together. In his 70s by then he insisted we find the date when a particular spring tide would fall so that he could work on a larger canvas. He prepared both the stretcher (the timber internal frame if you like) and the canvas himself - visits to ships chandlers for the correct canvas weave and art suppliers went on for quite a time. Using an old German art book (Max Friedländer) on artists materials for the correct recipe he primed the canvas flat and then attached it to the stretcher framework - the job of transporting it by van (our estate car being too small) was an adventure. Climbing that steepish hill with the canvas holding onto the stretcher framework was memorable to me as the carrier. Having to fetch his painting box laden with materials was doubly memorable. After some hours he indicated that he was done - for safety I photographed the work in situ (my polaroid camera was at least useful) .. said photograph survived intact in the artists file and was only coincidentally re-found very recently in the artists archive which had been retrieved by Professor Katharine Crouan who had written the original MacGonigal catalogue for the exhibition in the Dublin City - Hugh Lane Gallery many years ago. The artist was using the oddity of perspective of the two churches in the town to create a powerful diagonal and a lesser diagonal of the road from the town towards the Sky Road and the monument. Its or their purpose was to stress the decorative elements of the town houses which have the pictorial quality of being very tall in front and even taller in some cases at the rear owing to the cliff-like nature of the site on which the town was based by Alexander Nimmos designs for the landlord (DArcy) then developing the hamlet into a town. The artist avoids the dangers of centering the composition with another diagonal of the banked elements of the backs of the houses as well as the smaller cross cutting Ardbear Road to the right of the composition. The middle distances are those of the boglands and small fields and the massive effects of the Twelve Bens (in Irish na Benna Beola) whose sharp peaked quartzite summits form the backbone of Connemara and give and gave such an impetus to artists working to the aesthetic ideals of en plein air forming the rise above the horizon line of this work. The foreground of the tide suggested to the artist that it was about to turn and recede so he pushes on to give reflections in the water in order to pull the entire composition together. The artist spent over 50 years of his painting life looking at and painting, drawing and colour-noting the qualities of the Connemara landscape, and appropriately he lies in Connemara forever looking at a beloved land and seascape. Ciarán MacGonigal, August 2022 * Please note this lot is imported under Temporary Admission. It will attract import duty of 13.5%.
Adam's
Mar. 07, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) DOE CASTLE, COUNTY DONEGAL
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) DOE CASTLE, COUNTY DONEGAL oil on board signed lower right; inscribed and with original exhibition labels on reverse h:16 w:20 in. Provenance: Dawson Gallery, Dublin; Taylor de Vere's, 14 March, 1989, lot 31; Oriel Gallery, Dublin; Private collection Exhibited: 'Exhibition of Paintings of Donegal Interest', County Donegal Arts Committee, date unknown, loaned by Ciaran MacGonigal; 'Maurice MacGonigal RHA (1900-1979)', Taylor Galleries, Dublin, 27 November to 12 December 1981, catalogue no. 46
Whyte's
Mar. 07, 2022
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) FRANCISCAN MONASTERY, ROUNDSTONE, COUNTY GALWAY, 1974
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) FRANCISCAN MONASTERY, ROUNDSTONE, COUNTY GALWAY, 1974 oil on board signed lower right; signed, titled, dated and with Dawson Gallery label on reverse h:20 w:24 in.
Whyte's
Sep. 29, 2021
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) The Entombment Watercolour, 16 x 23cm (6 x 9) Signed and inscribed
Est: €800 - €1,200
Maurice MacGonigal PRHA (1900-1979) The Entombment Watercolour, 16 x 23cm (6 x 9) Signed and inscribed
Adam's
Sep. 27, 2021
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) BALLYKINLAR INTERNMENT CAMP, COUNTY DOWN, 1921
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA HRA HRSA (1900-1979) BALLYKINLAR INTERNMENT CAMP, COUNTY DOWN, 1921 oil on board signed lower right h:13.75 w:18 in. Provenance: Frank Dowling, a gift from the artist in 1929; Private collection, Stratford, Ontario; Thence by descent Bearing second unfinished work on reverse. Maurice MacGonigal (1900-1979) had trained in the studios of his uncle, Joshua Clarke, and his first cousin, Harry Clarke, in North Frederick Street, Dublin. He became a senior 'flesh' painter on glass as at a very young age. He was enrolled by Bulmer Hobson in 'Fianna Éireann' which was the Scouting arm of Sinn Féin. In 1916 he moved on to membership of Sinn Féin proper, and was the dispatch rider for Seán Dowling (also a neighbour) who was the officer commanding 'C' company, later changed to 'G' Company 4th Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Irish Republican Army. Maurice MacGonigal became the Company Intelligence Officer in 1920. Following Bloody Sunday and its aftermath in Croke Park on 21 November 1920, a roundup of IRA members by the British Army and the police began. Maurice was arrested on 8 December 1920 at his parents' home on Ranelagh Road. He was interned initially in Kilmainham Gaol, but for greater security was moved to the newly opened internment camp at Ballykinlar in Co. Down. He was brought from Dublin to Belfast by HMS Tiger, a Royal Navy battlecruiser - as a precaution against rescue attempts on the road. Ballykinlar was the summer HQ for the British Army in Ulster. At the edge of Dundrum Bay it was in a most beautiful place, but also a very damp site. It housed some 200 internees, with approximately 25 per Nissen hut. The Army and other services were housed in the original main buildings. The internees organised themselves along military lines, as in the IRA. Maurice was registered as the rank of 'Artist'( the only such registration in the camp). He also was appointed the 'I/O' ( Intelligence Officer) as, being an artist, he was allowed slightly more freedom of movement about the camp. Most of his paintings and drawings of the Camp, its domestic arrangements, and the local environs are held in public collections. This charming painting was a gift to his friend, neighbour and fellow Intelligence officer, Frank Dowling in 1929, 8 years after the end of the War of Independence in 1921. The artist's training and indeed, preferred vision, of painting into light (as a painter of Stained Glass) is obvious here. The main buildings in the background - the ochre colours used to act as focal points for the eye - and in the middle distance the Nissen huts housing the internees. Foregrounded are the internees at break, playing sport or running and, in the middle distance the other internees, apparently loitering. Different colour notes are used by the artist to create movement and recessive spaces with the billowing clouds giving a sense of space in a compressed composition. The camp, by happenstance, held a great number of men who were to be the nexus of the early Irish Governments. The artist shared his hut space with a number of future politicians including Seán Lemass, whom he knew well from earlier IRA actions. Nearly 40 years later he was to paint the official State portrait of Lemass as Taoiseach for Dáil Éireann. Maurice MacGonigal remained a 'Plein Air' painter all his life. But this early, and historic work, is indicative of his pictorial interests and his sense of colour. Despite its age it remains a lively colourful and evocative sense of a summer's day. Its mood is optimistic, on a late June day or even early July of 1921, as the Truce negotiations with the British Government were soon to be concluded (11 July 1921) with the release of the internees expected thereafter. How or where the artist managed to acquire pigments, brushes and paper/canvas is not known so far. One presumes the Clarke Studio could provide, however limited, such things with the commanding officer's permission (Colonel Hely-Hutchinson of Knocklofty, Co.Tipperary). Even after a century the work has a life and charm so typical of the artist's hand and eye 'en plein air'. Ciarán MacGonigal, September 2021
Whyte's