The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘PAINTING IS MY GREAT SOLACE’
WHEN you enter Phil O’Grady’s house in Aghadoe in Killarney the first thing that catches your eye is the wonderful selection of her paintings that hang in the hallway.
The well known Killarney artist has captured some of Kerry’s wonderful landscapes in all their glory. The Killarney weir, the Kerry mountains and wonderful garden scenes all adorn the walls.
In the corner of her sitting room is the creative space where she sits and paints every day. It’s also where she escapes her daily battle with cancer.
For the past 10 years the Killarney artist has been battling cancer but painting is her salvation.
“I thank God for every day that I can get up and do what I am doing,” she says.
“When I am sitting on my couch not feeling the best, I can get a call from one of the places that sells my paintings – The Aghadoe Heights, The Great Southern Hotel or Shades of Erin – to say I have sold a painting and they are my inspiration.
“Painting is my blessing.”
It has been a long road, with ups and downs, but Phil doesn’t let cancer define her and instead uses her talent to help support fund-raisers as she knows first-hand just how important it is.
Phil, who moved from her native Cork to Kerry 18 years ago, was first diagnosed with incurable lymphoma 10 years ago.
In her own words, “it is a type of cancer you live with”, but from time to time the cancer becomes “active” leading to chemotherapy.
“I struggled with chemo. I was so sick and two months later the cancer was back.”
In the intervening years she also been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone major surgery and bouts of chemotherapy and radiotherapy en route.
Now thanks to research, she has been prescribed a daily chemo drug to help control her lymphoma. This has been a blessing which has helped her live with cancer. Every day after lunch she takes her chemotherapy and then she takes to her painting corner, especially built by her son, where she forgets the daily battle.
“Painting has helped me cope with cancer. Painting inspires me. I never found living with cancer hard because I have my painting. It is my outlet.”
The side-effects of the drug have left Phil susceptible to infections and last year was particularly difficult after she contacted cellulitis and shingles. In fact, the last few months have been the most difficult as shingles has left her in severe pain. She is determined to not let cancer or its side effects change her life, however, and instead focusing on her painting.
“I am very lucky and blessed to paint in my corner. Almost everybody has a cancer story. You go through all the chemo and you think it has gone away and then it comes back.
“The happiest day for me is when I can drop my
I THANK GOD FOR EVERY DAY THAT I CANGETUPANDDO WHAT I AM DOING
son to work, get my jobs done around my house and go to my corner to paint.”
For Phil, research into cancer cures has made a huge difference and it is why she is so passionate about fund-raising and why she launched Daffodil day in Kerry for the Irish Cancer Society last week.
She regularly donates her artistic work to cancer fundraisers and this year she is sharing her story to inspire others to support Daffodil day.
“There is amazing work being done. Money is used for research into new cures for extending life so it is so important that we support Daffodil Day.”
Daffodil Day takes place across the county on March 23.