Glebe House and Gallery

The Glebe house and gallery are situated just outside of Letterkenny in the village of Churchill.  The house, originally a Church of Ireland Rectory, was the home of landscape and portrait painter Derek Hill from 1954. 

Hill (1916 – 2000) was originally from Southampton, England.  After working as a theatre designer and historian as a young man, Hill eventually found success as a portrait painter in Ireland.  He also spent much time on Tory Island mentoring locals like James Dixon and Anton Meehan, which gave rise to the Tory Island style of art.  

Hill, in 1981, donated his house and private art collection to the Irish state, and his former studio was converted to a gallery.  The eclectic assortment of works on display range from Pablo Picasso to Edgar Degas and from Georges Braque to Graham Sutherland.  Also on display are pieces from Irish artists James Dixon, Jack Butler Yeats and Louis le Brocquy.

Operated by the Office of Public Works, the gallery is open to visitors only for a limited time each year around Easter and then from June until the end of September.  Access to the house is via guided tour only.  The beautiful nearby Woodland gardens are open all year and is not far from Lough Gartan.  If you are an art lover or even just mildly interested, the Glebe house and Gallery is worth a visit!

For further information and opening times contact: (+353) 7491 37071 or email: glebegallery@opw.ie