Roscommon artists play hide and seek for incognito art sale
One of Maria May's works. Maria, from Ballaghaderreen, is one of the artists taking part in this year’s incognito online art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.
Eighteen Roscommon artists have gone into hiding for this year’s incognito online art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.
The much-loved annual event, in which the identities of the artists remain top secret, and are only revealed once the art deal is done, will take place on Wednesday, May 20th.
Among the Roscommon artists taking part in incognito 2026 are Ellen Susan Igoe from Castlerea and Maria May from Ballaghaderreen.
To mark the sale’s tenth anniversary, organisers have announced that this year’s collection features a newly-enlarged 6 x 8-inch postcard size. The collection of almost 2,000 original artworks, each costing €75, can now be viewed at www.incognito.ie Funds raised are life-changing for the 11 Roscommon families currently receiving care from the charity. In the decade since the sale was first inaugurated, a total of €1.4 million has been raised, supporting vital in-home nursing and respite care for Jack and Jill families across the country.
The service offers up to 100 hours of care a month to families caring for children, up to the age of seven, with severe learning disability often associated with complex medical needs, and operates seven days a week, with no means test, no red tape, and no waiting list.
Deirdre Walsh, CEO of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, says incognito has meant more children can be cared for, for longer, and that families can now receive counselling support. “Since incognito started, it has made such a real-world impact for the work that we are able to do. In those ten years, we have gone from supporting children up to the age of five years, to six years, and now to seven years. Last year, for the first time, we introduced a counselling service for all families too, providing additional support. Artists tell me that it is a real badge of honour to see their art showcased, while for the art buyer, there is the thrill in securing a treasured piece of art.”
The sale takes place on Wednesday, May 20th and can be viewed at www.incognito.ie
