Cork artist: 'Recovery from a spinal injury rekindled my dreams'

Carol Ahern talks to Home Editor Eve Kelliher about how a spinal cord injury changed her 'life and perspective'

Sat, 17 Jan, 2026 - 09:20

Eve Kelliher

Carol Ahern takes a break from her easel.

A contemporary artist based on a working farm, she’s gazing at the rolling Co Limerick countryside outside the window from the zone she uses as her designated painting nook at home. “My work is rooted in the rhythms of rural life,” she says.

“My studio — small but full of life — sits within the landscape and the rhythms of farm life, the shifting skies, and the stories of place all feed directly into my work.”

The self-taught painter adores celebrating what she describes as “the resilience” of Ireland’s landscape — from fields to skies to moments on the home farm at Granagh, near Ballingarry.

To say Carol’s journey to her dream career has required resilience would be an understatement.

Ten years ago, the artist’s life “changed in an instant” when she sustained a spinal cord injury, cauda equina syndrome (CES) — a rare and serious condition that affects the bundle of nerves at the base of the spine. “That February morning, back in 2016, I was at my local GP at 8.30am, sent to A&E by 10am, and by 2pm I was in an ambulance on my way to Dublin for emergency spinal surgery at 6pm,” says Carol.

“I’m aware of how incredibly lucky I was that everything moved so quickly — it is critical that treatment take place immediately to prevent further irreparable damage.

“We can’t fathom why it happened in my case — often the injury occurs after a fall or a very bad car crash, but it seems that it just so happened to me. “While I’m grateful every day that I can walk, it’s the hidden issues that continue behind the scenes that are the most challenging.”

The way Carol sees it now, the injury and recovery were to present “a pivotal moment” in her life.

Back then, the daily timetable was hectic. “I was working fulltime, completing the final year of my degree, and raising three young children — James was just ten months old; Maurice was four, and Mary Kate was nine,” she says. Carol’s husband, Seamus, is a dairy farmer, and it was the middle of calving season, she adds — “the busiest time on the farm”.

Overnight, instead of the usual frenetic juggle of work, family life, and study, Carol was managing a different set of challenges — recovery, hospital appointments and rehabilitation. “I was on the flat of my back for the first six weeks, then I came home, and things weren’t coming right — I was in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire for eight weeks; it was hard going. If Seamus Ahern didn’t divorce me that year, he never will!”

Her turning point arrived on a random Tuesday evening, in the National Rehabilitation Hospital, when a group of volunteers visiting the wards invited Carol to join an art class. “It was the kind of evening you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you’re in bed, feeling body-conscious, and that everything’s going wrong, so one of the other girls and I went down [and joined the class]. She hated it — but for me it was a lightbulb moment,” says Carol.

“That simple, kind invitation became a turning point. Sitting at a table with brushes and colours again brought me back to my secondary school art days — it rekindled something vital in me."

"Painting became both a relief and a release — a way to process, heal and rediscover my creativity.

On her return to Granagh, Carol continued to pick up her paintbrush and palette knife at her kitchen table and still finds “inspiration all around” her. “We live beneath Knockfierna, which translates as ‘the Hill of the Fairies’ or ‘the Hill of Truths’. “I love the changing light and the colours, and these are reflected in my canvases.

Art has become a central part of my life and identity. My paintings often weave together themes of renewal, connection and the Irish landscape."

Friends, family and neighbours helped rebuild her life. “My mum, Mairead O’Brien, has been very good to me, as have Seamus’s parents,” says Carol. Meanwhile, the charity Spinal Injuries Ireland has been a major source of encouragement. “Its peer support network helped me realise that I wasn’t alone — that others understood the daily challenges,” says Carol. “Over the years, its services have helped me not only in my recovery but also in building confidence around my art business.”

Carol has exhibited in Limerick and beyond, most recently in the Suil art gallery in Ennis, Co Clare. She was also delighted to contribute to the winter edition of Spinal Injuries Ireland’s publication, Spinal News, sharing her story. “I describe how many people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes,” says Carol.

Her injury and long recovery have made her realise that “time is short”, adds Carol, whose children are now 10, 15 and 19: “It’s funny — when you’re at the other side of it, you appreciate the small things. Life goes on. You still have to do the breakfast and the homework, you still have to manage it all.”

Carol had a passion for art from her schooldays in the Presentation Convent in her hometown of Mitchelstown, and even sat the exam as an extra subject outside of school.

Her family bought Cahir House Hotel in Co Tipperary in 1999. Carol’s father, the late Maurice O’Brien, was a well-known agribusiness visionary. “We never moved from Mitchelstown — farming was our main business — but Dad had a dream to buy a pub or hotel,” says Carol.

She worked in the marketing department of Cahir House — her flair for design and organisation rapidly putting the hotel on the map as a wedding destination venue. “I just loved every aspect of organising weddings, from the colour themes to designing brochures,” says Carol.

Tragically, Maurice died unexpectedly in June 2006. He had been making a slow recovery in hospital following an injury six months previously.

Carol has inherited his work ethic and determination to pursue a passion in the semi-abstract paintings, drawings, and mixed-media pieces she creates. “I paint primarily with thick acrylics applied using palette knives and brushes, resulting in textured compositions that reflect my personal connection to land and life,” she says.

Establishing her career has also led to a reputation for producing pieces that enhance living spaces. “I’ve always loved having my art in my home and always had an interest in interior design and art,” adds Carol. She’s recently been selected as a resident artist in the EZ Living Interiors East Gate store, Little Island, Cork. "It's something I'm absolutely thrilled about, as it's opened up a whole new conversation about how contemporary Irish art can live in everyday homes," says the artist.

Carol has found mentors in other artists she admires, completing workshops with the likes of Sheila Richardson of the Draíocht Gallery, Co Limerick, Roisin O’Farrell in Dublin, and Eamon Colman, Kilkenny. “They are all very generous, sharing their skills and techniques,” says Carol.

And the latter is keen to encourage other creatives: “We all think we lack the space and time to paint, but we don’t — even if all we have is a little Ikea island in the kitchen, or a small space in the corner, and can only spare 15 minutes a day to paint, that’s all we need to keep the practice up.”

See www.Carolahernart.com, @carolahernart (Instagram); www.Spinalinjuries.ie, and EZLivingInteriors.com.