Painting comes to life after 67 years; from Carraroe to Boston

Rarely has a painting attracted such interest or generated more emotion than Connemara Family which went under the hammer at Adam's Important Irish Art sale in Dublin on Tuesday evening. The painting, dating from 1946, was made by Derek Clarke – a British artist still working in Edinburgh in his 101st year – during a visit to Co Galway 67 years ago.

Ahead of the auction, it emerged that five of the eight children depicted in the painting are still alive. A member of the extended family in the United States bid, by telephone, but, sadly, failed to secure the painting which was sold after intense bidding for €38,000 – considerably above its estimate of €10,000-€15,000. Adam’s said the painting was bought by another, unnamed, overseas bidder.

The painting depicts the McDonagh family at their home in Carraroe, Co Galway on a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1946. Their current whereabouts brings to life the impact of emigration on Irish families in the 20th century. Five of the eight children emigrated to the US and one to England; two remained in Galway.

Before the auction, Eileen Heller in Boston contacted The Irish Times to say that her mother Margaret "remembers the painting and the artist fondly" . She was "the younger daughter in the blue dress in the painting" and had "emigrated to Boston and married Patrick Nee, from Rosmuc".

Heller said that when her mother “received her papers for America they had changed the spelling of her last name to McDonough. However, the true family spelling is McDonagh.”

The painting shows her late grandparents Máirtín and Maggie McDonagh and their children: Bridget (to the right of her father in the painting) who emigrated to Milton, Massachusetts, and died in 1978; Mary (wearing the orange dress), also emigrated to Milton, Massachusetts and died in 1987; Patrick (standing and wearing cap) emigrated to England and died in 1984; Michael (sitting) lives in Melrose, Massachusetts; Barbara (red hair, blue dress) lives in Milton, Massachusetts; and Margaret (younger girl in blue dress) lives in Milton, Massachusetts; Martin, the little boy in front, and baby Sarah, both still live in Carraroe, Co Galway.

Unsuccessful family bid
Heller, who unsuccessfully bid for the painting on behalf of her family, said: "the artist truly did an amazing job capturing everyone's personalities and that's what makes this painting so dear to us". She was disappointed that her bid was unsuccessful and explained: "I was on the phone with the auctioneer and it went so fast! When it got up to about €36,000 I went to call my brothers but as it was still ringing, it went to €38,000 and I said let me ask my family and boom it was sold."

It was her first time participating at a live auction and she “just didn’t realise how fast it would go” and was “at work, so it was difficult to hear”.

After the auction, and having consulted with other family members in Boston, Heller contacted Adam’s and offered to purchase the painting, at a higher price, from the successful buyer. The family, she said, has “already discussed donating it to a museum” to “share it with the Boston-Irish community”. Milton, Massachusetts, she said, “is just six miles south of Boston and has the largest Irish population in all of America”.

A spokesman for Adam’s auctioneers said the family’s offer had been communicated to the buyer who is “thinking about it”. The story could yet have a happy ending.

The extended McDonough/ McDonagh family is holding a family gathering in Boston in May with guests "flying in from Ireland" and they hope, somehow, that the painting might be there.

Other highlights
Other highlights at Adam's auction include John Doherty's Loitering at McCarthy's Garage which sold for €26,000 (€20,000- €30,000); Children In The Park by Frank McKelvey made €22,000 (€20,000- €30,000), and The Bathers by John Luke, €31,000 (€20,000-€30,000).

Lunch Al Fresco by Mark O'Neill exceeded its estimate of €3,000-€5,000 and sold for €5,500.

The highest price was achieved for a Louis le Brocquy tapestry, Garlanded Goat , signed and dated 1950 and number eight of an edition of nine. It made €47,000 (€45,000-€55,000).