Kilcormac Pieta  
10 x 10cm
Acrylic on Canvas 
2025  
 
This work references the Kilcormac Pietà, a 16th-century oak sculpture hidden in local bogland during Cromwell’s 1650 invasion of Ireland. The miniaturized image evokes old master marble Pietà sculptures, connecting Ireland’s concealed Catholic heritage with the classical European tradition of depicting Mary cradling Christ’s body.
 
Sheila Hough is a professional artist based in County Offaly, Ireland who works in film, oils, and watercolours exploring Bog-Gothic and Eco-Gothic themes. After retiring from lecturing at Athlone Institute of Technology in 2017, she resumed her art practice, earning multiple grants and exhibiting throughout Ireland.