LEON O'KENNEDY Artist

I collect his paintings in a small way. My parents bought one of his paintings in the early 60's and told me he used to sell them door to door. They met his in Connemara. I have tried to find out about him but there is very little out there. What's your interest?

Hi,
I have quite a few of his paintings, and can email you some if you send me an email to beddyp at lcceurotex.com

I have tried to research the guy also and I believe that this is the guy


3rd September 1963;
The vale of Tralee painting was presented at a ceremony in the Festival Offices by American Artist Leon O' Kennedy.

I have formed the view that the guy de-mobbed from the US Military and moved around Ireland (Donegal, Connemara, Kerry).

Leon O. O'Kennedy was a Staff Sergeant in the Army during World War II. Leon resided in Big stone County, Minnesota before enlisting on February 10, 1941. At the time of enlistment, Leon was 24 years old, had 4 years of high school education and was single, without dependents. Three years later, Leon was captured by the Nazis while serving in Germany, and was sent to Stalag 7A near Moosburg, Germany where 8,209 other American POWs were held. Leon's capture was first reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross on June 1, 1944, and the last report was made on June 4, 1945. Based on these two reports, Leon was imprisoned for at least 368 days (1 year and 1 months), about the average for U.S. POWs. Ultimately, Leon was returned to military control, liberated or repatriated

I have identified paintings in Ireland dating from 1946 up to 1962. He is not a recognised artist because he used to 'journey' around Ireland and in many cases, he sold 'door to door'. My parents bought from him in the 1962 in Connemara. I have come across painting's he did in Italy in 1949, and have deduced that he probably moved over there annually during the Irish winters.....

He painted primarily in watercolour, but there are some 'oils' out there.

I have come across the name in regard to film-making in the 1950's in Ireland.

I have never seen any paintings signed by him in Irish. His style is easily recognisable and I could recognise if it's one and the same if you send me a picture.

Hi Bedser,
Did you get a chance to look at the email with attachments that I sent you?

I just came across this thread now - I have a lovely oil painting by this artist entitled ' Galway Hookers on Coast of Connemara'. It's beautiful but needs a good clean.

That's very interesting, the two I have are watercolours. Both dated 1946. During the winter I am going to do more research (I've already done some) on this fascinating man who held many exhibits throughout Ireland in the 40's +. One of his paintings was presented to Bobby Kennedy when he visited Ireland. I'll keep you posted with any updates. BTW, what date is on your painting?

AssGard wrote: »

Hi all,
I can see its been a few years since this has been discussed. But I have been searching for information on an artist named Leon Ui Cinnéide and I came across this thread.

I have two lovely watercolours by Leon Ui Cinnéide dated 1946 and they are of huge sentimental value to me.

I wonder of Leon O' Kennedy and my artist are one and the same?

I have contacted the National Gallery of Ireland and they could not find Leon on their database but did find a 'Bean Ui Cinnéide' but cannot say if they are related.

Maybe you would like to swap photos of what paintings you have and I can do the same. What I would love to find out is where the artist drew inspiration for his watercolours.

One of them is of a bridge over a river and the other is of a meandering path through heater towards a small cottage in the distance.

What do you think?

Hello,

The last painting would be of "Pearse's Cottage" in Rosmuc, Connemara , a painting my father painted many times. I'm attaching an answer to another post, which incensed me, it was total fallacy, so please pardon the language at the beginning!

Excuse my language, but what a LOAD OF CRAP. And I should know, I'm his daughter!! My attention was brought to this ludicrous post last week while visiting my sister and niece in the UK and I said I wouldn't let it go
unanswered.
Where to start? About the only correct thing you have is the fact that my father, Leon, was technically, American, having being born in New York in 1896 but was brought back to Ireland by his parents, Irish emigrants, in 1901 when he was 5 years of age. He loathed the US, calling it "a crass country, only interested in the "Almighty Dollar"
His mother died in a TB sanatorium, part of the Strokestown Workhouse, Co Roscommon , in 1907 & his father returned to US in 1910. My father was adopted by an Uncle & Aunt who were childless, (having no desire to return to US when his father sent for him and his sisters a few years later) in Elphin, Roscommon & being a very bright child he win a scholarship to study at University College Galway. He became a teacher & in the late 1920's he became very interested in the "new idea" of Vocational Education, being convinced that there was more to education than "book-learning" and he travelled, in his motorbike, throughout the Midlands of Ireland, Westmeath etc, setting up the early Vocational schools. He eventually settled down in Castlepollard, (ironically where his father, who was s drunkard/alcoholic, was from) first, and then Mullingar, Co Westmeath, teaching History, Maths, Irish & Civics, where he continued teaching until the 1950's when he moved to teaching in Blackrock, Co Dublin , where I was born, the "baby" of the family!
He had married first Cait Meers, from Co Mayo, then she died in 1927, from puerperal fever, after giving birth to my half-sister Catherine. A few years later he married Cait's sister, my mother, Brigid Meers, a teacher, and they had another 8 children, including mise! He first started painting as a young man, but a lot of things were happening in his young life, Ireland was in the throes of a War of Independence, in which he was a young intelligence officer in the Irish Republican Army, the "old IRA", using his bicycle to carry messages/reports hidden in the handles and frame, as he recalled to me. Then the Civil War, where again he chose the Republican side. So his painting, and his poetry, and his playwriting took second place! With his growing family, AND a sister-in-law and her two children who he gave a home to, because she was an abused wife.
I honestly believe it was economic necessity that prompted him to take up painting again, mostly water colour, but in later life oils, and in the 1940's he started to exhibit widely, throughout Ireland, but with a particular love for Galway and the "12 Pins" or "12 Bens" in Connemara, which he said provided him "with a different picture around every bend". Following on from his exhibitions, he was often asked/commissioned to do a specific scene, The reference to the "door to door" selling is incorrect, as my older sister remembers, it was actually him following up on requests for him to call to people's house, where he would discuss the commission, size, price, etc. I was very lucky to have been the "baby" because when I was a young child, economic pressures had lessened and Daddy would travel the length and breath of Ireland, visiting many areas, to sketch the requested scenery from different angles and bring these sketches back to the client to choose their preference. This in the days before colour photography was common, apart from "Coffee Table" books of scenery, which sometimes clients had seen a scene they wished him to paint. He was asked to exhibit in the US, which he declined, having NO wish to visit the country of his birth, quoting from the Duke of Wellington "Just because one was born in a stable doesn't make one a horse" . He did however exhibit widely in the UK, London, in the Irish Club, Liverpool, Bristol, Chester, which he loved because of the prettiness/uniqueness of its buildings.
He retired from teaching in about1965 and devoted himself to painting and exhibiting full time, with a bit of poetry and writing plays thrown in, (he had had one of his plays produced by Anew McMaster, a noted theatre producer/director), as well as learning a couple of other languages,apart from Irish, which he loved, he spoke French & Latin, & in his 70's he learned Italian & German, with a smattering of Esperanto thrown in! He was also very musical, played the piano, and the Irish Harp, and long before I was born, he actually made a harp, I remember as a child coming across it in the attic, sadly eaten by woodworm, but a beautiful thing, in cream paintwork with gold scrollwork. A man of many talents, he was an avid member of the GAA & also proud member of the Pioneer Association, being a lifelong non-drinker, his memory of his fathers drunken rages obviously made a lasting memory and he hated drink.
My father, Leon O'Kennedy or Leon O'Cinneide (which he sometimes signed) died on 30th November 1976. RIP
He is buried in Knock graveyard with my Mother Brigid, RIP.

AssGard wrote: »

Thanks for the additional information but I am surprised at your comment:
"what a LOAD OF CRAP. And I should know, I'm his daughter!! My attention was brought to this ludicrous post"

Why would you need to say that to a small group of people who are clearly interested in the artist and none of whom insulted him in any way, but are just looking for information on an artist they admire? Information, I might add that is very difficult to come by, so your post is welcome despite the insult to someone here.

Will you tell us what exactly is "a load of crap" and which statement(s) is "ludicrous"?

Also just be aware that there were two people of a similar name resident in Ireland at the same time and this has caused some confusion. Maybe your dad is not the Leon that we are discussing here. Just to confirm this, could you tell me where Leon lived when he was in Dublin and also when he lived in Westmeath? I have paper clippings confirming his two addresses at those locations.

I would love to get more information about Leon if it is the Leon that painted the paintings that I have. Would you be interested in giving me more info at some stage.

As I said in the polite reply to your enquiry about your paintings "I apologise for the language to another post, but I was incensed when this ludicrous post was brought to my attention".
I have never heard of ANY OTHER landscape artist called Leon OKennedy/O'Cinneide, apart from my father, and I'm sure nobody else has. The chances of there being are ten million to one!
The "ludicrous" comment I made was in response to the work of fiction that another person made, of the artist Leon O'Kennedy being in the American army and being taken prisoner, which was the antithesis of everything my father thought and felt about America & Americans, as I stated in my post, he hated America and everything it stood for, calling it a "crass country, shallow and only interested in money, the almighty dollar being their god"

However, that being said, you are questioning my veracity, which quite honestly, I find insulting, as I felt I had been more than honest in my revealing a lot of my fathers, and my family's, story, and talking publicly about my grandfather's personal problems with alcohol, which is important to my fathers story, as he felt very strongly about drink and the terrible effect it had on him and his mother.

I had to phone my older sister, in England, this morning, to find out the address of the family home in Mullingar, because I never lived there, or had anything to do with it. We moved to Dublin, a few years before I was born, though my father continued to teach in Mullingar until sometime in the late '50's/early '60's.
The addresses in Mullingar, and Dublin I can certainly give to you. private message me your mail and I can give them to you (these are private, are simply for your information, and not to be posted please! )
I would be very interested in having a copy of those cuttings you refer to, as unfortunately, a relation, living with my parents at the time of his death, did a big "clear-out" and tons of my fathers books, memorabilia, etc, were "skipped" before I came back to live in Ireland, an awful loss to myself and my remaining siblings, as you can imagine

If you're interested, I have a family tree in Ancestry.com, which I have been building for the last couple of years, which I can invite you to view, there are a few photos of my father, and mother too, on it, and I can attach to the email a press cutting my sister had, (sadly scuffed, and faded) of my father, mother, myself and Senator Edward Kennedy, (his 2nd/3rd cousin?) taken on the occasion of my father presenting a painting at the opening of the new American Embassy in Ballsbridge, in 1964. - I'm in my Confirmation suit, which took place earlier that year!
As I said in the opening lines, I apologise for the "language" in the other post but when ones father's whole background is totally untrue, and publicly posted, it was an insult to my fathers memory, my sister was extremely annoyed about it too, in fact it was she who asked me to refute it, as she is seriously ill and not well enough to engage in correspondence.
Yours.
DamandaC

AssGard wrote: »

With regards to the other Leon O Kennedy (not DamandaC father), I have put some information on this man below. This is the Leon Kennedy that a number of us had thought might be Leon Ua Cinneide or sometimes referred to as Leon Kennedy. This is the person that, through no fault of our own we confused for a little while with DamandaC's father.

Before I paste it here, I would like to say again, that I cannot see anywhere on previous posts in this thread where anyone cast aspersions or insulted DamandaC's father anywhere. If I missed this, then can someone point me in the direction of it. I don't understand why DamandaC is so angry. If someone was doing a bit of innocent research on my father, I would be delighted, thrilled, honoured and proud, and would love to help them in any way, regardless of his life and how he conducted it. DamandaC, you need to chill out, anyone who has posted on this thread is on your fathers side, in my case, is an admirer of him, and only want to discover a little about this man who appears to have had a very interesting life, and produced some very nice artwork.


Here is the text I received from U.S regarding Leon O. Kennedy, which confirmed for me that this man was not the Leon Ua Cinnéide that I had been researching:

"I received your letter this afternoon from the librarian of the Graceville Public Library. Leon Orville Kennedy was born in Big Stone County, Minnesota, on June 8, 1917. He enlisted in the army in February of 1941. His two brothers also enlisted at that time.
We have a book here at the museum titled Service Record World War I and II Clinton and Community sponsored by the American Legion Post. This is what I have found: L. Orville Kennedy
Entered Service: February 10, 1941
Branch of Service: Army (Infantry)
Trained at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, Texas City, Texas, Fort Dix, New Jersey
Overseas: April 29, 1942
Theatre of Operation: European
Engagements: Algiers, Tunisia, Naples, Foggia, Rome, Arno
Medals Earned: European Theatre, American Defense, Pre-Pearl Harbor, Good Conduct
Returned to U.S.: June 13, 1945
Discharged: September 4, 1945 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Total Months Served: Fifty-five
Prisoner of War in Germany from May 31, 1944 to April 21, 1945

Leon married on August 3, 1945 to Marie E. McLagan. He went by his middle name, Orville. He lived in Bloomington, MN for 33 years. He was employed by the U. S. Postal service in St. Paul, MN. His obituary says nothing about him spending time in Ireland, nor does it mention that he painted. It does, however, end with An Irish Blessing that starts out “May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your bask, …”
Leon O. Kennedy died July 19, 1990, in Largo, Florida, and is buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. (Death date found on Find a Grave website; and confirmed by an obituary found in The Northern Star (Newspaper), August 9, 1990, Clinton , MN 56225) [/I]"

It would seem that the "Ludicrous" comment was referring to this man and not your father. It was a genuine small mistake, and should not have been referred to as a "load of crap"

Thank you for following up on your enquiry, and I apologise if my language offended you, or others. I was upset that someone seemed to be imposing another person, and history, on my fathers memory.
If anybody wants any further information on my father, please feel free to ask any questions you may have, and I promise not to jump, verbally, on you.
BTW, it's Leon Ó'Cinneide not Ui, as the prefixes in the Irish language have variations, so the prefix "Ó" relates to the male, "Uí" to the wife and "Ní" to the daughter, so my name in Irish would be........***** Ní Cinneide. Hope that clears up how he spelled his name!
He loved the Irish language, having been taught it by native speakers on the Aran Islands, off Galway, which he visited regularly, whilst attending college, and he retained fond memories of, in later life.
A "chilled out"
Damanda C

Hello again Bedser! I believe it's been three years since we last communicated by email. How time flies and I hope you are keeping well.

The idea of a site (perhaps a Facebook page) is a very good one, but I'm not sure if it would have many followers or contributors because apart from you, I have not come across anyone else who has artwork by Leon. Have you?

If it does happen though, I'd be glad to provide photos of my two watercolours (which I had reframed last year) and also provide some interesting newspaper snippets about the two Leons (Leon Ó and Leon O!)

Hi Damanda,

Coming back to you on your question.

The person who contact me in November last year was a lady in the States [snipped] who was anxious to return the letter(s) she had to 'its rightful owner/member of the family'. It could be the same connection. The lady noticed that you had posted on Boards, so maybe the connection was made

If you would like to email me on Mod: <<Snip>> can forward you the contact email information and correspondence I had at the time as well as a listing of different artworks of his which have appeared over the years.

Kind regards,
(aka Bedser)

Mod: Personal details snipped. It's safer to exchange those via PM

I’m his granddaughter, my Mam was Ita! I am looking for his paintings. Came across one that was for sale but it was sold by the time I put in an offer

Hi, is this Ge*****e?

Yes, Ita was my older sister. I will send you a message & if you want to correspond I will send you an email address.

DamandaC

I'm posting these to show that Leon O'Cinnéide was also known as Leon Ua Cinnéide

I have just received a pair of works by Leon O Kennedy signed and dated 1962, they were left to me by my father who purchased them Mr O Kennedy ,who was exhibiting at that time. One of the paintings looks like the Gap of Dunloe and the other is overlooking a lake or inlet with writing in the bottom right hand corner but with time this writing has faded somewhat . Both paintings were framed by Limerick picture framing Company. As per sticker on the back.Both pictures are 26” x 17.5” incl frames.I have read the thread and just wondering if anyone would know , value or authenticity’ for insurance purposes I would very much appreciate some info.

It is dated 1967 by my reckoning. Any advice would be much appreciated.