The Vanquished Writing History Paul MacCormaic
Friday 6 March - Saturday 11 April 2026
The Vanquished Writing History is the title of a body of work comprising 13 large-scale portraits. They are portraits of campaigners, or their advocates, who find themselves marginalised, ostracised, vilified or disbelieved, and who have told their own story, making a positive contribution to Irish society, usually through activism or advocacy or through the courts.
The exhibition is touring Ireland, starting in the RHA in February 2025, then March 2026 in the Linenhall in Castlebar and then The Marketplace Arts Centre in Armagh in January 2027.
'I began painting the series in response to the well-known expression that ‘history is written by the victorious’. I want to counter this by depicting people who are working against the established views and writing their own history. Those who normally have portraits painted are usually part of the élite, politicians, CEOs and archbishops. Simply painting a portrait of an ordinary person is an act of defiance.
The first person to agree to be portrayed was Catherine Corless, the historian who uncovered the tragedy at the Tuam mother and baby home. That portrait has been purchased by the National Gallery of Ireland for its permanent collection and is on loan to the Linenhall. Others such as Vicky Phelan, (d. 14-11-22) the women’s health activist who uncovered the cervical smear scandal, joined the list. My portrait of the refugee rights activist Lucky Khambule won best portrait in the 2023 RHA. Also included are two portraits of people who were affected by the anti-morning sickness pill in the 1960s. The twin portrait of Martin and Peggy Murphy (d.2025) and Finola Cassidy, the spokesperson for the Irish Thalidomide Association, which continues the longest running campaign by far in the series, at over 60 years. The collection features Annie Murphy, former lover of Bishop Eamon Casey, Martin Collins, Traveller activist and the three Kavanagh sisters, survivors of child sexual abuse.
There are also those working on the legacy of The Troubles. I include Paddy Armstrong of the Guilford Four, wrongly incarcerated for 15 years. Relatives of victims of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings are represented by Margaret Urwin, who although not related to any, is the main driver behind Justice for the Forgotten. Those who turned to violence to achieve their goals are excluded from the series. This ambitious project began in May 2021 and the final painting is the now posthumous portrait of Sister Stan (19/June/1939 -3/Nov/2025) was completed in 2026.'
About the Artist
Born in Dublin in 1961, Paul MacCormaic grew up in Finglas, a working-class suburb on the north western edge of the city, and he continues to live in the capital. He read History of Art at UCD and then went on to Dún Laoghaire IADT to study Fine Art, graduating in 2006. Since then, he has worked as a professional artist and teacher of art.
Most of his work is social comment, often imbued with a wry sense of humour. Paul notes trends, advertisements, the environment, and human behaviour. He has a wide range of interests for subject matter, food supply, body image awareness, health and wellbeing. He considers his work to be an anthropological Baroque for the twenty first century. Paul’s work takes the form of realist painting, collage and printmaking. In recent years, he has used his skills to render photorealistic portraits of activists whom he admires. This has culminated in his 10th solo exhibition called The Vanquished Writing History that was shown in the RHA Dublin in 2025 and tours to Castlebar in 2026 and Armagh in 2027.
