warm welcome to the official website of the Association of Iconographers of Ireland. Here you will find out all about our activities that include iconography courses, icon exhibitions, tours, our newsletter, etc. For more on this go to our Galleries page.

Our hope and dream would be the growth of a great school of icon painting in Ireland and hopefully to influence the development of sacred art in the country, but we must listen to the still small voice and let the Lord lead.  As Pope John Paul II put it: "I believe the renewal of the visual imagery of the Church is vital for our times." 

With the emphasis on renewal in the Catholic Church after Vatican II, there was much looking back to the early church and to scripture in order to better move forward.  The spirit of renewal began to run through all aspects of the Church.  People were encouraged to read the scriptures but the visual was often ignored.  Few realised the theological content of icons, in effect the Word of God expressed in colour.

While we strive to be true to the canons of iconography, we are also very conscious that over time, the art of any region will develop its own characteristics.  Icons, no more than scripture, must live.  Yet, our prime goal is not to produce an Irish style, but rather to make Christ present as best we can in the Ireland of today and let the doing of that bring its own artistic development.

For anything concerning the Association that you can't find on this website, or for membership application forms, feel free to contact our secretary:

Sr. Majella O’Keeffe,
47 Forster Street,
Galway.
IRELAND
e-mail: wprovarc@yahoo.co.uk