Cecily Brennan: 'It was a scandal. Our household was upended. When the college refused to allow her to bring the baby into her studio, there were headlines'

Cecily Brennan, a painter, sculptor, and filmmaker, describes her childhood and creative journey shaped by the cultural constraints faced by women in Ireland during the 1950s and 1960s. Despite feeling out of place in school, her love for art and reading blossomed early. Brennan reminisces about her mother's lost creative potential, expressing sadness over the limitations imposed on women of their era. Despite these challenges, she emphasizes her determination to continue evolving as an artist, asserting, "I've plenty of time, I'm only 69," as she embraces her journey of self-discovery and artistic expression.

I've plenty of time, I'm only 69. Drawing was my escape pursuing creativity in an environment that initially stifled women like my mother.

The confined situation of women in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s left many, including my mother, feeling they had lost out on expressing their creativity.

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