Talented county Longford artist says art can heal and 'help you to get through tough times'

Lorraine Donohoe is a talented county Longford artist who has used big festivals and her involvement in community work to showcase her creativity and her impressive range of skills.

The mother of two from Cahanagh Cross in the Newtownforbes area has developed her own experience and her own art business in recent years and it is going from strength to strength.

"I sell mostly clay work around Christmas time, I do decorations and I advertise workshops," she said. "Two years ago I got a bursary from Longford County Council so that I could progress with my abstract art so that is what I've been working on as a sideline."

Lorraine stated when she was younger all she wanted to do was paint or draw but she never got the opportunity to do art full-time and she studied to be a preschool carer in college.

"Growing up I suppose art just was not a thing that I thought (was possible), I wanted to do it but back then it wasn't on the cards," she added.

However, Lorraine said art was always a passion that was in the background of her life.

An air dried clay fairy houses created by Lorraine

"As I got older I had my own children and my first child Éoin he was born early and he passed away when he was four," she added.

Lorraine said because Éoin was born early, he developed cerebral palsy and he suffered from a number of health complications.

"That was a very tough time, as you can imagine and then my second child was born just before he passed away so that took all of my energy.

"Then by the time my third child came along four years later I just kind of got into art in a much different kind of way, I started crafting and working with clay and creating with her and she was really into the art as well so we did bits and pieces together."

Lorraine praised the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, who were fantastic during that time and she said art is a form of medication.
"Art can help you to get through tough times and it did help me," she added.

Lorraine stated in 2018 she decided she was going to make a few pieces and try to sell them.

"I started doing craft fairs and I sold quite a few pieces and I got a lot of commissioned work out of that where people would come up to me and say, 'That's a lovely piece'," she added.

Lorraine said in June 2024 she completed the TAP+ (Teacher Artist Partnership+), a Department of Education-approved professional development summer course for teachers and artists.

The course helps creative practitioners to work with children and young people and encourages them to hone their artistic skills in primary and special schools.

"The teacher and the artist combine their thoughts and their energy on art and bring it in front of a room full of students and get their input and basically we make something together," Lorraine explained.

Lorraine said she also recently completed a residency in Fourmilehouse through the TAP+ course.

The mother of two said doing community work, working with children on the TAP+ course in schools across county Longford is very rewarding.

"When I am with children in the classroom I basically say to them that everybody is an artist, everybody can do this, you don't have to be a Van Gogh to do a piece of art," she added.

Lorraine worked in a lot of workshops as part of her involvement in the Longford Lights Festival and the Dead of Night Festival in recent years.

"My input in community art has taken off this past two years," she said. "I'd say it's mostly to do with the county council because I originally approached Tom Meskall, the director of the Longford Lights last year and I asked him if I could volunteer to help," she said. "Out of that came a lot of work for me, workshops, getting my name out there and I'm getting recognised now for my work."

Lorraine has also praised Tommy Casby, who directed the Dead of Night Festival for his support.

"It was fantastic for me and a few of my friends as we had a whole month with each other working on everything in the Dead of Night parade," she added.

Lorraine was involved in the creation of five floats and three giants -including the head and arms of the striking Etain - for the 2024 Dead of Night Festival and she also played a prominent role creating floats for the 2025 Dead of Night Festival.

Lorraine has a studio at the back of her house which was built by her husband Stephen during the Covid lockdown which she said is fantastic.

She was one of about 10 artists who had their artwork displayed in an exhibition at the old Providers building in Longford Town in 2024 and she enjoys showcasing her work.

Lorraine has praised Shane Crossan, the Acting Arts Officer of Longford County Council who informed her about bursaries that were available.

She was also awarded a bursary in 2025 by Longford County Council for researching air-dried clay for outdoors for use in sculpture.

Lorraine is hoping to hold her own exhibition in late-2026 and she is thoroughly enjoying her art work and putting her best foot forward.

READ NEXT: Longford Pipe Band rings in their 60th anniversary

READ NEXT: Artistic team revealed for fourth and final Longford Lights Festival