Padraic Woods RUA

Padraic Woods was born in Newry in 1893, his family moved to Belfast in 1900. At age fifteen, Woods started evening classes at Belfast School of Art while attending St Joseph’s National School. After being awarded a scholarship to attend St Patrick’s Training College in Dublin, he returned to Belfast to teach at Holy Family School and continued to attend the School of Art. He soon became acquainted with James Humbert Craig, initiating a friendship which lasted over 30 years. In 1942, Woods retired early to spend more time on his art. He travelled across Europe painting in France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, and captured scenes of Donegal, Connemara, and Antrim on his returns home to Ireland.

Woods first exhibited with the Belfast Art Society in 1920. By 1931, he was elected an associate of the Ulster Academy of Arts and in 1932, exhibited at the Oireachtas. He showed regularly at the Royal Ulster Academy, Royal Hibernian Academy, and the Ulster Arts Club, eventually becoming president of the Arts Club in 1948 and 1949. His work is represented in the Hugh Lane Gallery, National Museum of Ireland, RUA diploma collection, and Queen’s University collection.