Cliodhna Cussen

Acclaimed sculptor, author and illustrator, Cliodhna Cussen died in 2022, in her 90th year. She was the wife of Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, a poet, writer and publisher, and the mother of Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South Central Aengus Ó Snodaigh. Best known for her large stone sculptures in both urban and rural locations around Ireland, Cussen was also a champion of Irish language and culture. She wrote many books, including the novel An Eochair (the key), a fictional account of the life of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, and authored three collections of poetry. Her most striking pieces include a statute of St Patrick at the pilgrimage site in Máméan in Connemara and the Dún an Óir sculpture at Ard na Caithne (known in English as Smerwick) on the Dingle peninsula.