Irish Paint Magic, the popular TG4 programme hosted by David Willis, will next Monday reach its 200th episode, and will have a particular Mallow interest as it will be dedicated to the 19th century artist Paul Kane, who was born in Mallow and went on to become famous worldwide, particularly for his portraits of American Indians in their natural habitat. To complement the story, a film crew visited Mallow recently and various areas of the town will feature during the programme.
Paul Kane was born in Mallow in 1810 and baptised in St. Anne’s Church. His father was a British soldier and the family emigrated to the US and then to Canada. The young Paul Kane began as an itinerant portrait painter, but went on to win great fame after he travelled extensively in the Great Lakes, painting Indians and witnessing and recording buffalo hunts, raiding parties and more. His paintings are prized by collectors and museums nowadays, and in 1971, the centenary of his death, Canada Post issued a postage stamp entitled ‘Paul Kane, Painter’. He was also declared a National Historic Person in 1937. Next Monday’s programme will be broadcast at 7.30pm, TG4.