We have many works of art throughout our guesthouse and I particularly love those painted by my mother Irene Woods, which are closest to my heart. One of my most enduring memories as a small child is of my mother’s easel in our kitchen at home on the Cooley Peninsula in Co. Louth. My parents have an old farmhouse and the heart of the house is the kitchen with the Aga. My mum is self taught and started painting as a teenager. She continued even when she had four small children and a farm to run with my Dad. She works in oils and gets her inspiration from the beautiful countryside, which she lives in. Most of her works are landscapes but I really love her pictures of animals as they remind me of home and of my childhood.

I am lucky to have some pieces that she painted especially for me; the Hay Stack depicts my father and grandfather and how they used to do hay years ago. Another favourite is “Home my Lovely” which is a fabulous painting that hangs in our stairwell and so many people comment and admire it.

, Paintings and artwork on show at Castlewood

, Paintings and artwork on show at Castlewood