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Christmas always brings with it a flood of returned emigrees looking for nothing more than a pint of Guinness, Tayto crisps and…

Christmas always brings with it a flood of returned emigrees looking for nothing more than a pint of Guinness, Tayto crisps and a bit of mammy's cooking. Carlow-born Eric Murray is the exception - he is taking time off from recording a new album with the New York-based band, Those Bleedin' Tulips, to set up an exhibition on the auld sod.

First and foremost a drummer, Eric also worked as an art director at Polo/Ralph Lauren and it was through work contacts that he first received offers to exhibit throughout the US. Several exhibitions Stateside followed, attracting, Eric says, "all the freaks" - referring fondly to singer Iggy Pop, director Jim Jarmusch and Sony's art director Josh Cheuse. The last two are proud collectors of Eric's work, which has been shown at New York's Live Gallery, Max Fish gallery and, currently, at the Rebar gallery and lounge in Manhattan.

When Eric was offered an exhibition in the Earl of Kildare Hotel on Kildare Street in Dublin, he decided to bring his work home - pop in and see it during the next month. All those freaks can't be wrong.