Donnacha Cahill at The Lansdowne Kenmare

• 

• 

• 

• 

If you have stopped for a drink at the bar at The Lansdowne Kenmare, you may already have met one of our more unusual little residents. Perched on the bar, cocktail shaker in hand and ears standing to attention, is The Mixologist, a wonderfully characterful bronze hare by Irish sculptor Donnacha Cahill.

He has become very much part of the furniture here at The Lansdowne and, rather appropriately, keeps a watchful eye over proceedings at the bar! We are lucky enough to have two of Donnacha’s fabulous sculptures at The Lansdowne, something particularly special to us as we love filling the hotel with pieces by Irish artists and makers whose work has a story behind it.

Meet Donnacha Cahill

Based in Moyode, Athenry, Co. Galway, Donnacha is a Fine Art graduate who works primarily in bronze and steel. There is a wonderful sense of humour and curiosity running through his sculptures. Donnacha describes himself as a storyteller, creating pieces which invite people to stop, smile, wonder and ultimately create their own story around what they are seeing.

His work has found its way into public and private collections around the world, while closer to home he has undertaken commissions and installations for organisations including RTÉ, Dublin Airport, the Department of Education and Electric Picnic. One of his best known creations is his Inquisitive Hare series, where his wonderfully expressive hares are caught exploring the world around them in all sorts of unexpected ways.

And then, of course, there is our favourite…

The Mixologist

There really could not be a more appropriate home for The Mixologist than a hotel bar. Standing proudly among the bottles and flowers at The Lansdowne, our bronze hare appears ready to shake the next cocktail himself. It is the sort of piece we love. Beautifully made, unmistakably Irish and just slightly mischievous. Guests notice him. They ask about him. They photograph him. And very often he starts a conversation.

That, perhaps, is exactly what Donnacha intends his sculptures to do. The Mixologist has travelled rather further than Kenmare too, with Donnacha exhibiting the bronze sculpture as part of his collection at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Irish Art With a Sense of Place

At The Lansdowne, we have always believed that a hotel should feel connected to where it is. For us, that means supporting Irish food producers, craftspeople, musicians, designers and artists and introducing our guests to some of the extraordinary creativity that exists around this island. Donnacha’s work fits beautifully into that philosophy.

His sculptures are inspired by everyday observations and by the landscape and life surrounding his home in County Galway. They are beautifully crafted pieces of contemporary Irish art, but they also have warmth, wit and personality. They don't demand that you understand art. They simply invite you to look a little closer. So next time you are in The Lansdowne, keep an eye out for our two Donnacha Cahill sculptures.

And if you find yourself sitting at the bar beside a bronze hare holding a cocktail shaker, you have found The Mixologist. We think he looks very much at home.

Discover more about Donnacha Cahill and his work https://www.donnachacahill.com/chelsea-flower-2024

Donnacha will be speaking at this years Design Kenmare Festival from 13^th – 15^th November