Remembering Louis Le Brocquy: Nurtured by Ireland, Celebrated By The World

Louis Le Brocquy 

1916 - 2012

Today we remember Louis Le Brocquy. The celebrated Irish artist passed away this week, but leaves a legacy of powerful artwork, which continues to inspire generation across boarders. 

Some of his most famous works are the evocative 'Portrait Heads' Le Brocquy produced of literary figures and fellow artists. These included his friends Samuel Beckett, Francis Bacon and Seamus Heaney. 

He was inspired to make the 'Portrait Heads' during a visit to the Musee de l'Homme in Paris. There, he discovered the Polynesian head cult: skulls overlaid in clay and painted to preserve the presence within. 

But Le Brocquy later revealed that he was not making a statement, but was instead trying to discover aspects of his subjects. He tried to find the 'Beckettness of Beckett' and the 'Baconness of Bacon'. 

His homeland played a significant part in nurturing his skilful expressions. In Michael Gravey's documentary 'An Other Way of Knowing', Le Brocquy explained a local cave near his holiday home just outside Ardgroom, Co. Cork had given him the basis for Samuel Beckett's mouth in the famous portraits of the writer.  

To mark his 90th birthday, Le Brocquy was honoured with exhibitions in London, Paris, Dublin, Cork and Limerick. 

'The show was demonstrative of Le Broacquy's lifelong approach to his work: elegant, articulate, purposeful and presented in the full knowledge that we was but part of a long cultural tradition reaching across nations and people' - James Hamilton

Poet John Montague remembers him in The Irish Times:

'Louis used white as other painters used shadow, and as he grew older and more frail, he began to look like a Louis le Brocquy, all finely blanched lines, with a light seeming to shine from within. His career as a painter has been exemplary, and we are all grateful'

Portrait of Samuel Beckett, a friend of Le Brocquy

Portrait of Francis Bacon

Portrait of William Butler Yeats

Photos from The Savoy Taylor's Guild

Here are some more photos from our event at The Savoy Taylor's Guild. We were supporting a charity event, in aide of the Kids Company charity.

The evening included an exclusive tasting of The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Collection*, which has recently been voted 'Best Irish Whiskey' for the third time. Guests were invited to enter a prize draw, where prizes included a weekend at St. Andrews Golf Resort and a bottle of our super premium Irish Whiskey. 

The Savoy's Taylor's Guild on The Strand is the flagship store. It offers specialist suiting services and a mezzanine floor with access to unique collections. The evening saw 50 guests attend the event, many of which continued on to the West End to enjoy London's theatre offerings. 

The proved very successful. The Wild Geese Rare Irish Whiskey was very popular and was a great introduction for those who were new to drink whiskey. 

Thank you to all who came down on Thursday 8th September, we hope you enjoyed yourself. 

You can find more photos on our Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/thewildgeeseirishwhiskeycollection

*In North America The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Collection is sold under the brand name 'The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes'

Jackie O: Doing It On Her Own Terms

UNTAMED has a very important meaning to The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Collection*. it was an intrinsic attribute of The Wild Geese, who pursued a dream of freedom. When they left Ireland they were untamed and walked their own path.

Tape recordings have recently been released of an intimate interview with former US First lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis. 'Jackie O' became a 1960s icon, and for a time was responsible for guiding the US nation as it mourned the assassination of her husband John F. Kennedy.

Her style and manner were iconic of 1960s America - always the superbly dressed hostess. But Jackie O was certainly more than this, and during her short time as the First Lady, she evolved the role beyond the President's wife. Although not a politician herself, she found herself at the heart of politics during a critical time and offered a level of compassion needed during the brewing Cold War.

During a visited from Nikita Krushchev, the Soviet leader was asked to shake President Kennedy's hand for a photo opportunity. Familiar with Jackie O's hospitality, he simply said 'I'd like to shake her hand first'. It seemed that although she wasn't a political figure - diplomacy was second nature to her and she elevated the job of the First Lady.

This has resonated well after her death, as the current First Lady Michelle Obama has been thrust into the public view and echoes the manner of Jackie Kennedy. 

The recent tapes - recorded by her friend and historian Arthur Schlesinger - were only to be released after her death, and offer an insight into this fascinating woman and the era she lived in. some of the recordings have revealed shocking revelations, particularly her opinions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Franklin D. Roosevelt. But nevertheless, these are her own thoughts - the thoughts of a woman who many underestimated. 

'The fact this purring, Chanel-clad had claws shouldn't have come as a shock'

- Daily Mail (UK)

Although sometimes shocking, the last interview with Jackie Kennedy about her time in a heavy political atmosphere reaffirms the values she took to and from the Whitehouse.

'She was often underestimated' said historian Sally Bedall (talking to NPR's Neal Conan), 'she was a far more intelligent, original, creative person than many people gave her credit for'.

The tapes show the enduring love she had for John F. Kennedy. When the US was faced with the Cuban missile Crisis in 1962, Jackie was not evacuated like many other politicians wives. She stayed by the side of the President because that's where she felt she belonged.

'Please don't send me away to Camp David... Please don't send me away anywhere. If anything happens, we're all going to stay right here with you'

[extract from the taped interview]

Jackie O could play the perfect hostess to leaders across the world, but would not be tamed by the role. She called the world as she saw it, recognising and disagreeing with the hypocrisy of a fully politicised world. But, perhaps more importantly she knew the time and place to speak her mind - and dedicated herself not only to serving the US in a fragile time, but also to building a family, a legacy, that stills runs strong today.

'She did it in her own way, and on her own terms, and we all feel lucky for that'

- John Kennedy Jr. speaking on the announcement of Jackie's death.

*In North America The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Collection is sold under the brand name 'The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes'.

Cocktail Clinic in Amsterdam, 28th April 2011

Cocktails are very important to The Wild Geese Collection. They present whiskey in a very different, very contemporary fashion. Our collection of cocktails perfectly capture the versatility of the Rare Irish and Classic expressions of the Collection.


Last week, The Wild Geese hosted an intimate cocktail clinic in Amsterdam - tucked away in a charismatic wine cellar, which provided an ideal location to share what The Wild Geese has to offer. Our resident mixologist Nick Wykes was on hand to introduce the The Wild Geese cocktail recipes.

The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey already has a remarkable relationship with the cocktail market. The Five Points and The Long Goodbye have each won a Gold Medals at the Drinks International Cocktail Challenge. The Rare Irish Whiskey is the recipient of a Silver Medal itself, and is the staple ingredient of many of our cocktail recipes, providing a memorable foundation and lasting taste. 

After the tasting and mixing, our guests kindly let us know their thoughts. Thank you to all who attended and we hope you enjoyed The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Collection. Particular thanks goes to Hans de Lang for putting together such a successful event and Nick Wykes, whose enthusiasm for The Wild Geese is eternally appreciated. 

Expression rather than Rebellion

To unveil its Spring/Summer 2011 collection, fashion house Yves Saint Laurent commissioned the short film 'No Way Back' to further explain head designer Stefano Pilati's vision. This short film, directed by Dutch photographer Ari Marcopoulos, is a very impressive and inspirational production in itself.

No Way Back follows Hollywood tattoo artist Mark Mahoney. It documents Mahoney's stylistic tattooing, and offers a fresh feel to tattoos as art - as expressions, rather than rebellions. Mark explains that, although he would spend most of his spare time drawing, his art teacher discouraged him from pursuing this passion. This only drove Mahoney to find his own art form, and soon integrated himself with tattooing. 

Staying true to his hopes and convictions, Mark is now considered one of the founding fathers of the art. His perseverance is reminiscent of the actions of The Wild Geese, who continued to maintain their hope of returning home. Like Mahoney, their dream of freedom took many different turns, and they found themselves influencing many different communities - just as Mahoney has found an unconventional method of artistic expression. 

Interestingly, Mahoney considers his art as a type of relationship. Talking to Low Rider Arte, Mahoney comments: 'tattooing to me is an art for the people... it isn't this far away gallery or some mystifying thing that nobody can relate to'. As a form of expression, tattoos have become a very powerful way to display a sense of identity. For The Wild Geese's 'Untamed' tattoo, this is also a method of remembrance - of celebration - of the incredible feats The Wild Geese have achieved. 

Mark Mahoney expresses his art on David Beckham earlier this year

Mark's tattoos are a partnership between himself and the client, 'without their idea... there would be no canvas for any work to be done'. The words also perfectly adhere to the inspiration behind The Wild Geese - without their powerful story, their mesmerising journeys, there would be no award winning brand. 

'With each new generation, there is a new legacy. Raise your glass, remember them'

Over The Line

On Wednesday, we profiled Kurt Amsler who regularly pushes his boyhood passions to the limits, by diving under thick ice in order to take striking photographs. This idea systematically forms Men of Action, two of which took part in last weekend's London Marathon. As one of the biggest running events in the world, completing it is a remarkable feat. But for some, this is not enough. Some push these limits and go much further.

The London Marathon

Sam Robinson treated the epic 26.2 miles run as a warm up, as he completed the marathon and then continued to run a further 99 miles to his home in St. Ives in Cambridgeshire. This 125.2 mile run took Robinson 29 hours. He said 'running was fine but stopping was the hardest part' after the extreme display of dedication. 

Another runner, Robin Harvie, who started at the finish line of the London Marathon at 4am. He ran to the entire 26.2 miles to the start line, before turning round and running the course again. Harvie explained the passion that goes into running a marathon. 'Running is a deeply personal experience. Start lines are full of recovered alcoholics, those suffering from traumas or running in the name of a loved one affected by something seismic'.

These Men of Action have tackled unimaginable physical and mental feats, deciding to go beyond the limits placed in front of them. Congratulations to all who participated in the Marathon! 

A Permanent Commitment

This month, Angelina Jolie revealed a new tattoo, sparking new rumours of another adoption. A new set of coordinates on her left arm join the set of geographical coordinates of the birthplaces of her children. Angelina Jolie has a collection of tattoos which each have each had a profound impact on her life. In the past she has said 'a tattoo is something permanent when you've made a self-discovery, or something you've come to a conclusion about'.

Angelina Jolie revealed her new tattoo
 while acting as a UN goodwill ambassador
 on the Tunisian-Libyan border

We understand this idea at The Wild Geese. Our brand's logo embodies the commitment of The Wild Geese, who stayed true to their convictions.

'Their commitment is undeniable'

JR - Man of Action

Ask anyone who lives in an urban sprawl, and they'll be familiar with street art. A controversial art from, this goes beyond 'tagging' a name all over a city and instead drives home important messages. Last month, French artist JR started the global Inside Out Project, where he invited people across the world to take 'strong' expressions and upload them to his website. JR will then send copies back to people, who will then be encouraged to plaster them on public walls.

Talking to The Independent, JR described the project as being 'about action... It is about taking the virtual world back to the streets'. The TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) described JR as a 'true humanitarian' whose art inspires people to look at the world differently.

JR has brought art to the streets on many cities of the third world, drawing attention to poverty and putting art into action. In 2008, he mounted his famous black a white portraits on houses in a shanty town in the Favela Morro Da Providencia region of Rio di Janeiro. South America was one of the many countries that was to become home to The Wild Geese after they left Ireland in 1691. Like their journey, JR has broken the the cycle and tackled an ambitious project.

The artwork brought the district alive and literally gave the
 cityscape faces, promoting a greater understanding of such a diverse city.

This project lead to the establishment of the Casa Amarela, a place for young people to escape the city and learn about art and culture, so they might widen their horizons. JR joined with BKRW, an online magazine and new space with an installation of photos taken by the children of Casa Amarela. Photography workshops are available and the local community came to together to paint the entire building.