Paul Henry, one of Ireland's most popular artists, explores the colorful and magical landscape of Connemara in a piece that was originally written in 1952. Editor's note: In May 2022, our sister publication, Ireland of the Welcomes, celebrated its 70th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we dipped into our decades of archives and found incredible articles like this and others written by famous Irish figures such as Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh, and the beloved Irish artist, Paul Henry.
One of the most extraordinary distinctions possessed by the West of Ireland is the unique spell it exerts - a subtle and powerful spirit of attractiveness to which even the most lethargic and sophisticated traveler invariably succumbs. This is the more extraordinary, and says not a little for the general receptivity of mankind to the subtler things of the spirit, as Ireland's more enduring and attractive qualities are not of the obvious kind which lies on, or close to, the surface and reveal themselves at a glance or a first casual encounter. This alluring charm has been felt by most people who have penetrated west of the Shannon; but it is in Connemara - that small choice district of West Galway - one seems to get closest to the secret source of this current of attractiveness.
Into this strip of the seaboard of the country have been collected many things of interest for all types of mind, and many interesting and beautiful things which are seldom found in combination, but when found they hav.