In April 2026, Seona Mc Dermott, volunteer at Olivier Cornet Gallery, wrote about The Ridge of Capard by David Fox, oil on canvas, 122x92cm, available to purchase for 2,500.00 euro. This painting was recently chosen to illustrate the cover of Poetry Now 2028 for the Leaving Certificate, edited by Niall MacMonagle.

David Fox is an Irish contemporary artist, specialising in paint. Originally from Tullamore, Co. Offaly and born in 1987, Fox has been painting since a very young age. The Slieve Blooms are among some of Europe’s oldest mountains and the Ridge of Capard is famous for its panoramic views and its boardwalk that cuts through the blanket bog. David is a member of the Olivier Cornet Gallery's AGA group.

Olivier invited the artist to present this work and to write about it in the context of National Heritage Week 2025, Exploring Our Foundations. The painting was also part of the gallery's recent winter group show Memorandum.

According to the artist, “The Slieve Blooms are not only part of the natural heritage of the midlands—they are part of my personal foundation as an artist. They’ve influenced how I see the world, how I relate to place, and how I work as a painter. Many of my early paintings were inspired by excursions to the mountains”. This larger piece can be found in the front hallway to the Gallery, where it brings a new energy to the space.

This piece is an oil on canvas. Fox favours a muted palette of blues, greens, deep umbers and purples, reflecting the soft Irish light and the shifting shadows of the ever-present passing clouds. Fox states that he enjoyed the activity of photographing wild mountainscapes and seeking out man-made forms (such as the boardwalk depicted) that help to construct powerful compositions. There is also an area nearby known as the Lost Village, where one can glimpse the silhouettes of old houses and derelict structures - reminders of life there in the past.

According to the artist, the Ridge of Capard “is a place that creates a tangible feeling of true connection to the land”, something never more needed in today’s always-online, technology-dominated society.

As an Irish person who is quite familiar with the Irish mountain landscape, this piece particularly spoke to me, as it reminded me of many walks I’ve taken on the Spinc boardwalk in Glendalough, Wicklow.

In my opinion, the significance of national heritage and a connection to our native land (or our adopted homeland) in an increasingly monocultural world, evokes a strong sense of meaning. We can feel grounded in and proud of our cultural identity and national heritage, while also looking towards the future in an expansive and inclusive way. 

Through this work, Fox invites us to stand on that ridge, feel the chill in the air, and appreciate the quiet majesty of the Irish landscape.

Seona Mc Dermott, 17 April 2026