No. 305
Blackrock Diving Tower, Salthill
An original artist hand pulled print inspired by the Blackrock Diving Tower, Salthill, Galway, Ireland. Salthill is a seaside resort on the northern shore of Galway Bay, Ireland. Its beach consists of a series of small rocky or sandy stretches. Salthill Promenade offers views of the nearby harbour city of Galway and the Aran Islands.
Blackrock Diving Tower is an iconic structure of the Salthill promenade in Galway City. The original diving board was erected in 1885, and ever since the area has been a hit with swimmers all year around.
This print is from our Irish Places of Interest series which celebrates locations well known and the less well known in a contemporary way.
- An original artist hand-pulled print. Not a digital reproduction.
- Designed and printed in Ireland
- Size: 24” x 36” (61xm x 91cm)
- Fits standard “off the shelf” USA and IKEA poster frame sizes – therefore no expensive custom framing
- Premium quality artist inks and paper
- Tube for easy transportation and protection of poster.
No. 305 Blackrock Diving Tower, Salthill
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The Blackrock Diving Tower, Salthill
The Blackrock and Salthill area of Galway city was originally a fishing area with some thatched houses where the fishermen lived. On the 6th January 1839 there was a major storm, known as “The Night of the Big Wind”. The houses were literally blown away by the ferocity of the storm and the tide and most of the occupants had to move inland.
Blackrock was also a favourite place for men bathing and in 1885, and some bathers decided to place a springboard there. Unfortunately, they did not have ‘planning permission’ from the owner of the land, Colonel O’Hara, and he had the board removed and made it difficult for the bathers to get to the rock at all. It ended up in court and the Urban Council stepped in and signed a lease giving them a public right of way to the bathing area.
In April, 1904, the Urban Council sought tenders for the erection and maintenance of the springboard at Blackrock. This structure was quite primitive and consisted of a wooden walkway with the board at the end, all supported by some metal poles. It was eventually replaced in 1953 by this more elaborate structure much further out into the water which we see today.
Salthill
Salthill, a rural seaside hamlet on the edge of Galway town, evolved into a marine resort during the 19th century.
Salthill
Salthill was a quiet fishing village, existing independently from Galway town, until the Victorian obsession for health and fresh air eventually came to the west of Ireland whee you could enjoy invigorating salt-sea baths, salt-water showers and sea swimming and diving.
The 1904 Blackrock Diving Board, Salthill, Galway , Ireland
Old Salthill Postcard c.1900
Salthill, Galway Postcard c.1950’s
Why this Poster Print is special
Our posters are designed and printed in Ireland with the greatest of care and attention.
We love what we do, and we hope that love shines through in our work.
An original print
Our poster prints are original artist pulled prints. They are original artworks in their own right. They are not digital reproductions of existing artwork.
Skilfully printed by artists and print making artisans using traditional print making methods.
Each print is inked, printed and pulled from the press individually, one at a time ensuring they are off the highest quality.
As they are original artworks there may be slight variations in ink density and coverage between prints. This is a characteristic of original art prints.
Designed and printed in Ireland
The Aran Art Studio is based in Galway on the west coast of Ireland.
All our work is designed by us and printed by skilled artists within Ireland. We never mass-produce work from another country.
Our forte is to represent a traditional Irish image, location, person, custom or tradition in a contemporary way.
As artists and craftspeople we strive to make art that is beautiful to look at; made to the highest quality; and that establishes a meaningful connection with the buyer.
Size and impact
We take our poster art seriously. We like to create prints that are big, bold and really create an impact.
Our largest prints are our 24″ x 36″ (61cm x 91cm) prints. This is also known as American Poster size. These attention grabbing prints have a clear, attractive, eye-catching messages, while also being a great piece of art.
It is often commented that our work is very “Irish”, Many of our customers are tourists and expats overseas, looking for a bit of home – something that reminds them of Ireland.
Standard frame size
We have puopsely designed our prints to fit standard size frames. We do this so that customers can easily find ready made ‘off the shelf” frames that do not cost too much. There is no need for expensive custom framing.
Our largest print 24″ x 26″ (61cm x 91cm) fits a standard USA Poster frame available throughout the USA. They are also available in IKEA stores worldwide.
Highest quality
A feature of our prints is the paper and inks used. We use only artist quality materials designed for fine art works.
The particular characteristics of this prestigious and deluxe paper is its light embossed texture and its natural tactile feel. The acid-free paper is environmentaly friendly being of course produced elemental chlorine free (ECF) and is FSC-certified.
Well presented in tube
Many of our customers purchase our prints as a gift for others. With this in mind we present our prints in an attractive and functional art tube.
The tube makes for easy and safe transportation of the artwork, whether in a suitcase or mail.
The wide diameter of the tube means the poster does not have to be rolled too tight and risk damaging the paper fibres.
How to unroll and care for your print
Your print is sold and presented in an art tube for protection and presentation. The tube is very convenient for storing and transporting your print and protects it from damage when you are transporting it or receiving it in the mail. It also makes it easier to present to someone as a gift.
But when art prints have been rolled up in a tube, laying them flat can become a bit of a challenge. And sometimes the rolling can cause minor creases in the paper.
Please note that when you hang or frame a poster – any minor creases and wrinkles will disappear.
Here’s how to flatten a print to avoid creases and wrinkles.
Method 1: Roll the Poster Back on Itself
- Remove the endcap from the tube.
- Remove your poster from the tube by tipping it until it slides partly out. You can catch the protective brown kraft paper corner to help coax it out. Do not try and pinch or pull it out vigorously from inside the tube as this can cause wrinkles and creases
- Roll the poster out on a clean, flat surface so that it’s design down
- Ensure the outside of the tube is clean and undamaged. Carefully roll the poster around the outside of the tube, the opposite way to which it has previously been rolled
- Secure with an easy to remove sticker or weight. Some find it easer to wrap a sheet of plain paper around the centre and secure that with the tape – that way there is no way of damaging the print paper.
- Leave this for an hour
- Remove sticker gently and unroll to reveal a flat poster
Method 2: Weigh the Poster Down
- Repeat steps 1 & 2 from method 1
- Roll out the poster on a clean, flat and hard surface (like a table)
- Ideally if you could place a clean flat sheet of cardboard, wood or glass on top, it helps, but not always neccessary.
- Place something heavy on each corner and in the middle to weigh it down. Its a good idea to place clean paper undermeath your objects to keep the print clean. Books would work as an object.
- Leave this for 24 hours
- Remove weights to reveal a flat poster
Remove any creases - Iron Method
- Place the poster face down atop a sheet of cardboard on a clean flat work surface.
- Plug in the iron to LOWEST setting WITHOUT steam. Smooth a white sheet or thin ironable cloth over the poster. Iron the creased area of the poster by moving the iron back and forth over the sheet in the appropriate area.
- Keep the iron moving to avoid burns.
- Lift the sheet from time to time to see if the crease has disappeared. If not, iron some more.
TIP: A slightly humid environment will help your poster flatten between the cardboard pieces more quickly than an extremely dry environment.
If the poster doesn’t respond to the iron method, place a towel over the poster and use a LOW steam setting, using very little water. The steam will relax the crease in the poster. Keep the iron moving to avoid burns. Lift the sheet from time to time to see if the crease has disappeared. If not, iron some more.
Do not turn the iron’s temperature too high or it may burn or discolor the poster. Likewise, keep the iron moving to avoid burning the paper.
Please note that when you hang or frame a poster – any minor creases and wrinkles will disappear.
Framing Ideas
Important: Never leave any artwork or print material in direct sunlight.
We have designed our prints to fit standard size frames. The convenience of a standard size makes it easy to get ready-made frames to fit, therefore no expensive custom framing needed.
Where to get Frames for our prints
You can get standard size frames at most framing stores or readily available online. You can also get them from any IKEA store worldwide.
Below are some examples of how the prints would look in some standard size IKEA frames 61cm x 91cm
24" x 36" (61cm x 91cm) Black Frame
24" x 36" (61cm x 91cm) White Frame
24" x 36" (61cm x 91cm) Wood Frame
At a Glance
Our Poster Prints
Original Art Print
Our prints are original art prints, each one is individually printed by skilled printmakers and artists.
A link to a Proud Irish Heritage
Our prints nearly always have an Irish theme. They can celebrate a persons link and association with Ireland.
Great gift for any home
Whether purchased for oneself, friends or family, our prints are designed to be beautiful, powerful works of art.
Beautifully made and well presented
Our prints come in a strong kraft art tube that both protects the print in transport and easy to present as a gift.
Designed to fit standard size frames, therefore doing away with expensive custom framing.
Made with love and respect in Ireland
We love what we do and are extremely proud of our Irish heritage. We hope it shows in our work and the quality of our products which are made to the highest of standards.
Our prints are designed and made by us in Galway, Ireland.