Kildare artist Pamela de Brí to launch new book on Ireland’s Islands at Naas Library

Renowned Kildare artist Pamela de Brí is launching her book, Ar an Imeall – Exploring Ireland’s Offshore Islands, on Thursday, November 5 at 6pm in Naas Library and Cultural Centre.

The book will be launched by Lucina Russell, lecturer at Limerick School of Art and Design. An exhibition featuring a selection of my paintings of the islands will also be on view in the gallery.

“The project, which I began in 2020, explores and documents Ireland’s offshore islands, seeking to record, celebrate, respect and remember the individual world that each island is and was to those that lived and still live on it. Initially inspired by two books – Diarmaid Ferriter’s On the Edge a book about history and society on Irelands islands and Cín Lae Eibhlín Ní Shúilleabháin, a diary, written over six months in 1923, by the twenty three year old Blasket islander Eibhlín Ní Shúilleabhán, the first part of the project are the almost 60 oil paintings, on board, various sizes,” said Pamela.

"After reading as much as I could about each island, and visiting as many as possible, I tried to capture their essence, depicting them as being ‘out there’, somewhere attractive and enticing but yet seen from the mainland.”

A different selection of the islands was exhibited in three venues over the last 18 months – Kilcock Art Gallery April on June 2025, Rathfarnham Castle (May – June 2026) and Esker Arts Tullamore (July – September 2026).

“Since I began the project I have been collecting and compiling the stories of each island with a view to documenting the islands for posterity. The stories incorporate the history, the tragedies, as well as more unusual events from each of the islands. While mostly in English, some of the texts are in Irish, especially where Irish is still spoken on the island. Translations are included. Two of the contributors' texts are in Irish,” she added.

The book has an introduction by historian, Diarmaid Ferriter. It is a limited edition of 500 and consists of photographs of the painted images and the story of each island. There are essays by different contributors – Cristín Leach, art critic; Kieran Hickey, geologist, Breanndán Ó Beaglaíoch, ceoltóir agus Máire Ní Fhineadha, scríbhneoir.

Its 100% Irish provenance makes this book a keepsake - it is designed and printed in Ireland on FSC certified Munken Pur paper, widely used for high end publishing, and manufactured with minimal environmental impact. The 124 page book, measuring 260mm x 240mm, has a hard back woven linen cover. The Irish designer is Mir Fitzgerald @workofmir and the printer is Plus Print, based in Dublin.

"This book has seared the Islands and their histories, beautifully and skilfully, for posterity," said Diarmaid Ferriter.

Find out more about the project at https://www.instagram.com/pameladebri/ or https://www.facebook.com/pameladebri The book is mainly self funded with a small contribution from Co Kildare Arts Service, which Pamela hugely appreciates.