Enniskillen Library | 30 September - 26 October | Monday - Saturday 9am-5pm

A testament to Michael’s love of painting, his travels, the natural and built environments and his inquisitive eye.

Michael Raphael Donnelly was born at 19 Belmore Street, Enniskillen on 24 October 1929. His father was a builder and his uncle an architect. His family home was filled with music and Michael was especially interested in classical music and opera. He chose to study architecture in the only Irish degree course in UCD where students in the faculty were arts oriented. They attended concerts and plays and then discussed these performances. He did his presentation drawings in watercolour and during a spell in Belfast he went to T P Flanagan’s life painting classes in Belfast Technical College. Michael remembers how a prize-winning painting ‘Night Town’ was reproduced on an Ulster Bank calendar in 1990. With the encouragement of his late wife Theresa he exhibited at local events and had a solo exhibition in Enniskillen Library.

His work has been inspired by his travels throughout Europe especially France and Italy. More recently he has painted mainly for friends and family and since 2002 he has published his paintings of local landmarks in bespoke calendars for designated charities.

Last year, as a personal challenge, Michael undertook a 140k walk from Triacastela to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Santiago route. It was a unique experience for him and a gratifying one. He is celebrating his 90th Birthday in October this year so this solo exhibition is a testament to Michael’s love of painting, his travels, the natural and built environments and his inquisitive eye.