Faoi | About

Visual Artist Lucia Mhic Laifertaigh was born and raised in the Gaeltacht region of Rosguill (Ros Goill), Co. Donegal.

From an early age, Lucia was immersed in and nurtured by the extraordinary beauty, colour and rich heritage of Ros Goill.  A breathtaking Atlantic coastland, with whispers of an ancient past and folklore continue to inspire her work, shaping her art, her connection to place and her connection to community. 

To the west, Cuan na Long (Sheephaven Bay) and the sweeping sands of Trá Mór (the Big Beach), the ancient woodlands of  An Ardaidh (Ards Forest), Cnoc an Mharmair (Marble Hill) and the towering cliffs of Corrán Binne (Horn Head), home to puffins and countless seabirds. To the east stretches An Mhaoil Rua (Mulroy Bay), one of Ireland's most striking waterways. Tradition holds that it was named by Viking settlers who established communities here during the ninth century. Beyond its eastern shores is Fanáid (the Fanad peninsula) and, further still, the rugged mountains of  Inis Eoghain (Inishowen). 

To the north, the open Atlantic has shaped life on this coast for countless generations. It carried traders, travellers and invaders alike, while the surrounding landscape became woven into Ireland's rich tapestry of mythology. Nearby Bá Íochtair (Boyeeghter Bay) better known as Murder Hole Beach, is linked in local tradition with the legendary battle between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé Danann, where folklore tells of a fierce conflict.

The sea has always been both generous and unforgiving. For generations it sustained the people of Ros Goill, providing livelihoods through fishing and maritime trade, yet it has also brought hardship, loss and sorrow. Like the landscape itself, it embodies both beauty and resilience.

It is impossible to separate Lucia's art from the place that shaped her. Her paintings reflect not only the striking beauty of Ireland but also its enduring spirit. While deeply rooted in local tradition, Ros Goill has never been isolated from the wider world. Through its herring fisheries, tweed industry and the journeys of its people across continents, it has long embraced and incorporated change. 

Those same balances between heritage and renewal lie at the heart of Lucia's work. Her paintings celebrate the land, sea, skies, culture and colours of Donegal, inviting the viewer to experience this Wild Atlantic Way peninsula. Through colour, texture and atmosphere, she expresses a deep respect for and appreciation of Ros Goill, a place of beauty, resilience, generosity, wildness and rich cultural heritage.