my grandfather Ailfrid Mac Lochlainn

Who’d have thought that my grandfather was into Futurism?  That’s correct – into Post-Impressionism, Cubism and Futurism.  And how do I know that?  Well, I was in the Kilmainham Gaol Museum last week and I saw his yellowing copybook (see below), and there it was, a lecture on modern art from the 5th of August, 1923.

Yes, my grandfather Ailfrid Mac Lochlainn was imprisoned in various prisons during the Irish Civil War (he was never charged with a specific offence) but to pass the time, he was often called upon to deliver lectures to his fellow prisoners.  He also made several pencil sketches of his comrades on small scraps of paper, some of which you see in this post.  The originals can be seen in “Intervals of Peace”, a special exhibition curated by Brian Crowley at the museum.

the beginning of his lecture: “On…