Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is pleased to present Returning / Heritage, an exhibition of new artworks by Maeve McCarthy. The exhibition opens at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire on Sunday 6 July and runs until Wednesday 3 September 2025, admission is free.

The exhibition features new paintings, charcoal drawings, objects and a film.  Through her work, McCarthy explores her mother’s family story, from their roots in County Down to her grandparents’ move from Kilmainham to Sandycove in the 1930s. She revisits gardens, houses, and familiar paths from the past.  Some are still standing, others have changed or disappeared. The exhibition invites visitors to think about what is passed down through generations and how memories continue to live on even after physical places change. It is a gentle and thoughtful look at identity, belonging, and the power of letting go.

Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Councillor Jim Gildea said: ‘This fascinating exhibition weaves a story about the things we hold onto and how our history shapes who we are. It has a strong connection to the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area’.

Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Frank Curran added: ‘The Council was delighted to award this exhibition to Maeve McCarthy.  We are very grateful to the Arts Council for supporting this exhibition and encourage everyone to visit it at dlr LexIcon.’

Returning / Heritage is the result of a dlr Visual Art Commission, which was awarded to Maeve McCarthy. The commission gives artists the opportunity to create a new body of work that is responsive to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. It is funded by the Arts Council and supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Alongside the exhibition, dlr Arts Office will run a programme of accompanying talks, workshops and events. This offers many opportunities for people of all ages to interact with the gallery in different ways, learning about and trying out different art-making techniques.  For further details, visit the website:   www.dlrcoco.ie/arts

Maeve McCarthy is a Dún Laoghaire-born, Dublin-based artist whose work explores memory, place, and the passage of time. She mainly works in painting and drawing. She is known for her small-scale rural landscapes and narrative scenes inspired by personal and family history. Recently, she has started making larger paintings of gardens from memory, based on earlier charcoal sketches. These new works explore mood, atmosphere, and sensory memory.

McCarthy graduated from the National College of Art and Design in 1987 and has exhibited in Ireland and internationally. Her work is held in public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Ireland. She is a member of the RHA (Royal Hibernian Academy) and is represented by the Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.