“Ar an Imeall - On The Edge” explores the story of Ireland’s offshore islands encapsulating their history, culture and their overall essence. It has been in gestation for almost six years. I have painted almost 60 islands (oil on board) almost all from the mainland. The artwork attempts to capture the soul and spirit of each island from my own sense of the place. It’s about language, culture, the stories and the way people lived. This project is unique in that it is the first time that anyone has depicted our offshore islands in painting with supporting stories. I like to think of it as a celebration of our islands. The earliest inhabitants of Ireland lived on the shores and adjoining islands. This collection invites the viewer to be aware of our world and what’s lost and what can be lost.  The islands were little worlds of their own, serving communities. However, emigration, basic access as well as services like education and health can prove very challenging and then you have the weather, such as storms often rendering them inaccessible. To understand each story behind the islands I visited a large selection of them and read about each one, getting a glimpse into a different world. These islands have suffered famine, storms and emigration. This project aims to ensure that these islands will never be forgotten.

Further development of the project will look at ways to go deeper into these investigations of moments of life on the islands, memories, imagined memory, struggles to stay, the devastation of leaving, the reality of living in isolation. It will record the folklore, songs, poem and traditions

Ar an Imeall – Island Paintings an exhibition of more than 50 oil paintings of Ireland’s offshore islands is currently on view in Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin 14.

The exhibition will travel to Esker Arts Centre, Tullamore, for July, August and September.. The exhibition is part of a larger project exploring and documenting the islands. It records, celebrates, respects and remembers the individual world that each island is and was to those that lived and still live on it. 

Price list here

AR AN IMEALL Art Book is high quality limited edition book of my island paintings along with stories of the islands. It has an introduction by Diarmaid Ferriter as well as essays by various experts and contributors.

The book is an Irish-designed collectors item which is printed in Ireland on Munken Pur paper with a linen finished hard-back cover.

The official book launch will be held in Naas Library and Cultural Centre, Co Kildare, on the 5th of November 2026.

A limited number of the books, costing €55, will be available to preorder. Preorders include a high quality archival signed giclée print of an island painting. It includes postage in Ireland

Please email pameladebri@gmail.com and I will send you payment link.