The Sarah Walker Gallery sits in the western corner of the harbour at Castletownbere, County Cork. The gallery is housed in a long whitewashed stone building, with a slipway leading to the door. Sarah located her gallery here in 2003 and transformed the former carriage house into a modern exhibition and work space. It’s an eye catching structure, straddling both shore and sea. At high tide the building appears to be half immersed in the water with waves lapping the lower walls on three sides.

Inside it’s all white, sparse and spacious, a pared back minimalism that contrasts with the rich colours of the paintings. At the far end a glass door opens onto a wooden walkway giving wave-top views across the bay. It’s a fantastic setting and a surprise to find an art gallery amid fishing boats on a West Cork pier.

All the paintings are evidence of a life lived close to brambles, trees, country roads, spring and winter air. The Sarah Walker Gallery is also a venue for live music, theatre and literary events for adults and children alike at the High Tide Club.