A solo exhibition by Róise McGagh at The College Lane Gallery.
Curated by Aoife McCloughlin
29 March – 24 April 2026
Opening 28 March 4-6pm
sticks and mountains and huge lone birds is the first solo exhibition by artist Róise McGagh. The exhibition is a culmination of a month-long residency undertaken by McGagh in the College Lane Gallery where they have been exploring the relationship between the Gallery and public space. Site-specific in their nature, the works in this exhibition articulate architectural forms observed in the environs of the Gallery. The exhibition will expand beyond the confines of Gallery space, directly engaging with the street.
The exhibition title, sticks and mountains and huge lone birds, is borrowed from Claire-Louise Bennett’s debut novel, Pond, bringing to mind a childlike curiosity for the world. It is through this spirit that McGagh’s works have been realised. Employing a refined sculptural language, the materiality of private and public spaces is suggested.
This production for this exhibition was kindly supported by DLR Professional Development Arts Grant and Fire Station Artist Studios.
Location: College Lane Gallery, Abbey Street, Howth, D13 EY2
Róise McGagh is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Dublin, originally from County Leitrim. Recent exhibitions include Through and Between, The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art, 2025; Prop, Hold, Bear, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire (IADT), 2025; In the Making: Mud Between the Toes, 2025 at Pallas Projects/ Studios, 2025. McGagh was longlisted for the RDS Visual Art Awards, 2025; was awarded a Graduate Award at Fire Station Artist Studios (FSAS), 2025; a Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown (DLR) Emerging Artist Bursary, 2025; and a DLR Professional Development Arts Grant, 2026. They hold a BA in Fine Art from Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire (IADT).
Aoife McCloughlin is a curator and arts worker who lives and works in Dublin. McCloughlin was the Provost’s Fellow in Curating at The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art, 2025; an Exhibition Mediator at the Irish Pavilion during Venice Biennale, 2022; and as an International Intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice in 2023. McCloughlin also has experience supporting and facilitating education events for Sculpture Dublin’s Creative Engagement Programme, The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, Rua Red South Dublin Arts Centre and The Chester Beatty Library. She holds a BA in Fine Art Sculpture and Critical Cultures from National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and an MPhil in the History of Art and Architecture from Trinity College Dublin.
Aoife McCloughlin 