This podcast tells a fascinating story about the Irish artist Sean Keating RHA (1889-1977) and his iconic painting Men of the South. The work captures a time of turmoil in Ireland and features men from the North Cork Flying Column as they wait in ambush for a British military group. Keating created the painting at his Kildare Street, Dublin studio in 1922.
He had painted the Flying Column some months earlier, but included Commander 2nd North Cork Brigade IRA, Sean Moylan and Michael O’Sullivan. This painting hangs in Aras an Uachtarain and is entitled An IRA Column 1921.
In 1946, Keating’s painting entitled Sinn Fein Courts was created during a visit to Newmarket in Cork. It now hangs in Collins Barracks in Cork.
The voices to be heard in this podcast are those of Dermot Kiely, son of Roger Kiely; David Browne, grandnephew of Dan Browne, Fr. John J. O Riordain, son of Jim Riordan, local historian Sheila O’Sullivan, relative of Michael O’Sullivan.
