An unenthusiastic Brendan Behan was employed by the Commissioners of Irish lights to work as a painter and brighten the exterior of the lighthouses that in turn illuminate our rocky coastline. His hands it seems were better suited to holding pint glasses than a brush. Hammering the lids of tins before using his bare hands to mix the paint failed to impress the Principle lighthouse keeper at St John's point; this and a number of other misdemeanours are revealed in a letter to head office calling for the writers immediate dismissal. The letter is worth reading and is published in Richard M Taylor's personal history of the Lighthouses of Ireland. Behan's efforts have long since been obscured by subsequent brushstrokes and the elements pounding against this rocky headland. The weather was fine when I visited St Johns point but its hard to find a vantage point to sketch the buildings. The reassuring glow cast by the lighthouse across the bay is at odds with its physical reality; enclosed behind high walls adorned with warning signs and painted in bands of yellow and black, its wasp like exterior is unwelcoming. A lighthouse is built to be avoided, its function is solely to protect mariners and not to enhance the surrounding landscape. I finished my sketches quickly and moved on after not much more than an hours work, but an hour more than Brendan Behan managed.
If you are interested a painting you can contact Eamonn by ringing 07962 189132