The 'Eliana'


The Greek-registered cargo ship, the 'Eliana', was the first maritime mural painted on the old east pier. It was created by a crew member of the ship in 1971. 

In 1976, I was requested by some local people to revive the piece as it had suffered deterioration. This was my first artwork on the pier.

The 'Eliana' was a large vessel which regularly deliverd phosphate from Casablanca, Morocco to Wicklow Town harbour. This was used as a component for fertiliser that was produced in Arklow (the 'Eliana' being too large to birth there).

I have fond boyhood memories of being allowed to play on the ship's decks and having my first 'foreign' meal there - spaghetti bollanaise!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to My Blog

Image
  Hi everyone, For close on 50 years, I have been the resident artist of maritime murals on the East Pier of Wicklow Town Port in Ireland. This blog aims to create a digital record of my 70+ maritime-themed artworks, and the stories that inspired them, for your enjoyment and for posterity. The East Pier at Wicklow Port continues to be my second home where, as a marine artist, I love sharing my art with so many of you who enjoy walking along the pier from time to time. This vast outdoor canvas has enabled me to create a unique gallery of nautical-themed murals, thereby fulfilling my desire to make the pier a better place for everyone! Fascinated by ships from the age of 9, sketching became my childhood hobby, which I continued as I grew older - capturing visiting ships to the port in pencil sketches and ink drawings. In the summer of 1976, I got permission from the then local Harbour Master, Captain Willie Kinsella to retouch a mural of the Greek ship, the 'Eliana' which had bee...
Read more

The 'PS Waverly'

Image
  The 'PS Waverley' is the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world.  She was named after Sir Walter Scott's first novel and was built in 1946 by A & J Inglis in Glasgow, Scotland to replace a 'PS Waverley' that was sunk in 1940 while helping to evacuate troops from Dunkirk. Bought in 1974 by a registered charity, the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), and following a successful public fund-raising appeal, she was restored to her original 1946 appearance to operate passenger excursions around the British coast. I recall how the vessel's owners decided to operate a short series of passenger tours in 1984 from Dublin port and docking at Wicklow Town, Arklow, and on one occasion onward to Rosslare. A shorter series of tours was conducted in 1985 when I decided to create a mural of the 'Waverley' on the East Pier. I included a Scottish flag in honour of the vessel's Scottish roots. This coincided with my early years worki...
Read more