A Peaceful Journey - Cormac Dennis Exhibition

Artist Cormac Dennis brings his ongoing exploration of solitude to Castleblayney with A Peaceful Journey, an exhibition of mixed media plein air sketches opening at Iontas Art Gallery on Friday, 28 August 2026. Working on location in watercolour, pastel, coloured pencil and oil, Dennis builds landscapes that lean away from strict realism toward an intuitive use of colour, continuing a body of work he has shown across several exhibitions under the same broad theme.

What to expect

The sketches were made outdoors, in the plein air tradition of painting directly from the landscape rather than from photographs or memory, and the show traces how Dennis’s palette has shifted over successive bodies of work, from literal depictions of place toward colour used as an emotional register. Iontas describes the collection as an intense, ongoing journey of self-discovery, and the works are hung as a single continuous exhibition rather than grouped by location or date. The show opens with a launch night on Friday, 28 August at 7:30pm, with the exhibition itself viewable in the gallery from around 25 August through to 28 September 2026, giving a full month to catch it.

Getting there

Iontas Art Gallery is in Conabury, on the edge of Castleblayney town centre, with parking on site and level access throughout the building.

While you’re in Castleblayney

Iontas runs a full theatre and community programme alongside its gallery, so it is easy to combine a visit with a look at what else is showing that month. There is more to see in Castleblayney and across Co. Monaghan.

Good to know

• Launch night: Friday, 28 August 2026, 7:30pm
• On show: late August to Monday, 28 September 2026
• Venue: Iontas Art Gallery, Conabury, Castleblayney
• Price: Free to view
• Booking: no booking needed to view; online ticket sales are not used for this exhibition, contact Iontas directly to confirm gallery opening hours