About An Chéad Tine Art Organisation

Mary Doyle Burke founded An Chéad Tine in the wake of Kilkenny Arts Week 2022. A Kilkenny-based artist and curator, she first studied Fine Art at Ormonde College in 2019 before returning to education as a mature student. In 2022, she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Visual Art from Waterford Institute of Technology (now SETU) and subsequently established a studio practice in Kilkenny city. Through her engagement with local artists and creatives during the Arts Festival, Mary identified a clear need for a dedicated space in Kilkenny where artists could both create and present their work. In response, she established An Chéad Tine, developing a shared workspace that includes studios for local artists alongside a programme of exhibitions. In September 2022, Mary approached Katie Quinn, Manager of Dunnes Stores on Kieran Street, to explore the possibility of leasing the former restaurant space above the store as a gallery for the organisation. Following a positive initial response and subsequent discussions with Dunnes Stores Head Office, a lease was secured after several months of negotiations. This marked the beginning of a new gallery initiative focused on showcasing the strength and diversity of contemporary art in Kilkenny. In December 2022, An Chéad Tine was awarded funding under the Arts Council of Ireland’s Workspace Scheme, supporting the running costs of the studio spaces now located at 10 The Parade, Kilkenny. Alongside her artistic practice, Mary brings substantial administrative and organisational experience, having worked in the insurance and banking sectors. Her qualifications include a Diploma in Cultural Studies with Telesales and French, and a Higher Certificate in Insurance (IBA). She has also contributed over twenty years of voluntary service to the GAA, holding roles such as Chairperson, Secretary, and Project Manager for development initiatives, and leading numerous successful fundraising projects within her club and community. During Kilkenny Arts Week 2022, Mary was invited by the Office of Public Works to exhibit her graduation work—originally shown at Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford—on the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. She was also featured in the Irish Arts Review online “New Generation Gallery” in its August edition, received support from Kilkenny Arts Office for a project in 2023, and exhibited with Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in October 2023.

Graham Carew is a painter and mixed-media artist from Kilkenny. He works primarily with acrylics and watercolour, while also incorporating permanent markers, household paint, and aerosols. These materials are used to build layered surfaces filled with imagery and text that move freely between rant, mythology, poetry, and personal narrative. ​His subject matter often includes birds, flowers, and superheroes — sometimes all appearing together within the same work. Graham spent many years living in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, where he co-founded Goodyear Arts, an innovative, artist-led, non-profit organisation that supports artist residencies and cultural events in underused buildings across the city. During this time, he also co-founded Wall Poems, a poetry-based non-profit mural project that has produced over twenty permanent painted walls and installations throughout Charlotte. ​On returning to Ireland, he ran The Artist in the Shop Window Project at Fogarty’s in Castlecomer, an artist-run initiative that transformed vacant retail space into a platform for contemporary art. ​He is currently working on a new series of murals across the Kilkenny area.

Roger O Reilly studied Art at COMAD, Dublin pursuing a career in commercial art. His work has received numerous awards including the Illustrator of the year 2004,  and appeared in publications worldwide. His work is represented in the permanent collection of the Musee D’histoire Contemporaine in Paris. He has also authored numerous books and his illustrated bestselling book, “Lighthouses of Ireland” won the An Post Irish Published book of the year award in 2018. The Recent project of painting all thing maritime brought him back to his roots near the tidal River Boyne and  the next project is to explore works on canvas, with a special focus on the estuarine landscapes of shifting ground, uncovered memories and the inevitability of change.

P.J. O’Connell is an established Irish visual artist living and working in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. He has been actively involved in the arts since 1987 and brings extensive experience as a practising artist, educator, and exhibition installer, particularly through his long association with The Source Art Gallery. P.J has spent over three decades teaching art at secondary level and also served as Head of the Visual Art Department on the PLC Fine Art course at Coláiste Mhuire. Alongside his teaching career, he has maintained a strong professional practice, exhibiting widely in solo and group exhibitions throughout Ireland and internationally. His work is represented in private collections across Ireland, Europe, North America, Africa, and Australia, and is also held in public collections including Limerick City Gallery of Art and the Museum of Fine Art Alytus in Lithuania. In recent years, O’Connell’s painting practice has continued to explore abstraction, placing emphasis on emotional response through material processes and painterly techniques. His exhibition *New Paintings*, shown at An Chead Tine Gallery in Kilkenny and later at The Source Art Gallery, Thurles in 2025, presented a body of work that united feeling, structure, and visual rhythm. A regular collaborator with The Source Art Gallery, O’Connell has installed numerous exhibitions and has recently curated Francis Tansey’s solo show. He is also the curator of an upcoming solo exhibition by Irish artist Mary Doyle Burke, running from 3 February to 9 March 2026 at The Source Art Gallery, Thurles, hosted by The Source Library in partnership with Tipperary County Council.

Niamh is a member of our Gallery Exhibitions Administration team and also volunteers in the production of exhibition brochures, as well as assisting with the organisation of exhibition openings and events. She brings valuable experience from previous roles organising exhibitions and community-based arts events in both Clonmel and Kilkenny, alongside her professional background as a visual artist. Niamh is a painter based in North Kilkenny whose practice centres on portraiture, working primarily in oils and charcoal. Her work looks beyond surface likeness, seeking to capture the character, presence, and lived experience of her sitters. In recent years, her paintings have been recognised through selection for the Kilkenny Portrait Show, chosen by Blaise Smith RHA in 2024 and by Aosdána member Bernadette Kiely in 2025. Alongside her studio practice, Niamh has developed a growing interest in the relationship between image and narrative. She gathers and responds to personal stories rooted in place, aiming to preserve voices and experiences that might otherwise be lost.

Marcos background as a visual artist and other work experience brings vauled expertise to his role as gallery technician. ​Marco manages all the technical duties in the gallery and studios. In the gallery, he works alongside the Curatorial team to install each of the gallery's solo and group exhibitions. Marco also organises setup for workshops and artist talks. As well as working with An Chéad Tine Art Gallery, Marco has experience in the past five years as freelance technician for prestigious art galleries around Ireland such as Butler Gallery, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Garter Lane Arts Centre, NCAD Gallery and other projects. ​He is a Kilkenny based visual artist, originally from Sora, Italy. Recently graduated with a MA in Expanded Sculpture at NCAD, and holds a Hons BA Visual Art SETU Waterford, he has exhibited in groups shows nationally in galleries across Ireland.

Originally from Wexford, Damien now calls Waterford home after twelve years abroad working in tourism and hospitality. It was in these roles that his interest in brand development and social media marketing began - particularly in the culture and tourism sector, eventually leading him to transition to freelance digital work just as the pandemic began. In 2024, Damien began studying Tourism, Business & Marketing at the College of Further Education & Training, Kilkenny (formerly Ormonde College). As part of his work experience module, he began volunteering as an invigilator at An Chéad Tine, where he quickly identified opportunities to apply his skills in online promotion and audience engagement, supporting the gallery’s growth. Damien now looks after the gallery’s online presence and manages broader marketing efforts like email campaigns and online storytelling, using his understanding of branding, design, and analytics to ensure the gallery reaches and resonates with a wider audience.

Originally from the heart of west Cork, Marian now lives in rural Kilkenny. With vast administrative experience from her many years working in a dynamic role with an agricultural Co-Op, Marian also has a BA in Irish Music & Dance from the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance, UL and a MA in Arts Policy & Practice from NUI Galway. Marian has lent a helping hand to many arts events and festivals over the years in west Cork, including the West Cork Literary Festival, Skibbereen Arts Festival, and the Drimoleague Singing Festival. Her preferred location is her veggie and flower garden with the radio on.