Description
Vintage Post-Impressionist Oil Painting of Ireland Countryside by 20th Century Irish Artist, Ray Cochrane.
Art measures 16 x 12 inches
Frame measures 21 x 17 inches
This impressionistic 1980’s vintage original is signed and presented in a period ornate gold frame with a cream canvas insert.
Painting using earthy colours and lush greens on canvas, this painting depicts a tree-lined stone pathway leading down to a cottage deep in the hills of the Irish Countryside. The location depicted is actually that of the lost village of Galboly, on the Antrim Coast & Glens of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in Northern Ireland. This village is a hidden gem where visitors can explore stone-walled buildings, walk along the perimeter walls, study old thatched cottages, and take in majestic views above the village along the Garron Plateau.
The village of Galboly, meaning “the English dairy place” was once a thriving rural village where people lived off the land and sea. Many of the residents worked on the nearby Garron Estate as farmers, which is now Garron Tower Secondary School. The village was also known as the “robber’s village,” as it was rumored that residents were known to rob unsuspecting tourists traveling in jaunting carts up and down the Antrim Coast Road during the 1800s to the 1960s.
At one point, it’s believed the village was home to over 60 inhabitants, but by the 1950s this had wilted down to six individuals. Many residents left due to unemployment as industrialization took over the agriculture sector. The last person to live in the village was a monk from the Abbey at Portglenone. He resided in the village until his death in 2013.
Since the passing of the last resident, the village and area have become a popular film location where several scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed. The area has also become a popular walking/hiking location among tourists.
