Irish Dog Portraiture

The Inaugural Series Honouring Ireland’s Nine Native Breeds

Madra is the Irish Gaelic word for dog — a word that echoes through centuries of companionship on this island. It is the root of my studio’s name, and the spirit behind this collection.

Completed in 2024, this is the first artist-led series to portray all nine of Ireland’s native dog breeds in a complete, cohesive body of ultra-realistic paintings: the Irish Wolfhound, Kerry Beagle, Irish Water Spaniel, Irish Red Setter, Irish Red & White Setter, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and Glen of Imaal Terrier.

When I first learned that six of these breeds are now considered vulnerable or at serious risk of extinction — some, like the Kerry Beagle and Glen of Imaal Terrier, reduced to perilously low numbers — I felt a deep urgency. These dogs are not just breeds; they are living fragments of Ireland’s history, once essential to hunting, guarding, and daily life, yet many are fading from the landscape.

That discovery moved me to act. I set out to preserve their presence — through the slow, deliberate language of oil and acrylic on canvas. Each portrait is a singular original, hand-painted with classical precision and archival care. No reproductions, prints, or editions will ever be issued.

This series is more than art: it is an act of remembrance, a tribute to heritage at a moment when it needs safeguarding.The complete collection is available to one collector, intact — a body of work that stands as Ireland’s canine legacy in paint.

Private enquiries are warmly welcomed.