Nuala Holloway
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Nuala Holloway is an artist, academic and fluent Irish speaker. She is a former Miss Ireland, model and actress. Ms. Holloway was born in Mount Temple near Moate, County Westmeath in the midlands of Ireland. In 2004 she received her BA Honours Degree in Modern and Medieval Irish, History of Art, Italian and English from University College Dublin. In 2005 she completed her Higher Diploma In Education as well as Post-Graduate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
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[edit] Career as a Model
Ms. Holloway became a successful fashion and photographic model in the late 1970s and 1980s. She appeared in magazines and newspapers, both in Ireland and abroad. In 1975 after winning the Miss Westmeath competition, she represented her country as Miss Ireland at the Miss International Beauty Pageant in Okinawa, Japan.
During the late 1970s, Ms. Holloway brought glamour and vibrancy to the nation with her artistically photographed modelling. The often risque images incorporated a tasteful, creative and refined style. Such an occupation proved to be rare, daring and liberating for Ireland at the time, making her a pioneer in this now frequently immitated style.
[edit] Career as an Actress
Throughout and after her modelling career, Ms. Holloway became an actress and appeared in films, stage plays, TV dramas and commercials including an award-winning commercial for Lemons sweets.
She appeared also in other television commercials for various internationally known products, such as Guinness.
In 1978 Ms. Holloway appeared in The First Great Train Robbery, acting in several scenes, including one with Scottish star Sean Connery. She also worked as a double for actress Lesley-Anne Down.
Ms. Holloway went onto to star in other projects including "The Flame Is Love", "The Year Of The French", "The Death of our Angels" and "Tailor Made".
She acted with Gabriel Byrne on Bracken and Pierce Brosnan on Manions of America. She also appeared in "Silver Apples of The Moon", "Anois ‘s Aris" and The Live Mike, (playing Sr. Concepta with Dermot Morgan.
Her stage acting career has included performances such as "Sauce for The Goose" (with RTÉ Players, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin), "Meeting of the Ladies’ Club", "The Importance of Being Earnest", "Living Quarters" (By Brian Friel), "The Love Of The Nightingale" (By Timberlake Wertenbacher - played the part of ‘The Queen’ at Players Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin), The Death of Cuchalainn (By W.B. Yeats - played lead part at the North American Theatre Festival, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.)
[edit] Career as an Artist
Ms. Holloway has become a well known and respected artist throughout Ireland for her use of oils, watercolours, pastels and pencil. Some of her works range from portraits of Irish President Mary McAleese, music superstar Elvis Presley and golfer Seve Ballesteros to her maritime, wildlife and scenery paintings.
Following secondary school, Ms. Holloway studied at the Crawford College of Art, Cork. Her studies were abandoned when she was encouraged to become a model. However, her interest in painting was rekindled later on. She studied under Kay Doyle A.N.C.A., President of the Watercolour Society of Ireland.
In November 1997, Ms. Holloway's painting "Coming Out of the wood - Seve Ballesteros" was chosen from 300 entries for the Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown Open Exhibition of 30 Artists.
In April 1998, two of her paintings were chosen for the Dun Laoghaire exhibition - "Asgard II" and "Dun Laoghaire Harbour". This work was singled out for special mention by Peter Murray, Administrator of the Crawford Gallery, Cork. His comment was "An Artist of exceptional talent". Since then Ms. Holloway has completed a number of commissions and her work is now in private collections in Ireland, Britain and America.
In August, 2006 she co-exhibited a selection of her art work with the poetry of renowned writer, poet and Joycean scholar Leo Daly in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
In September, 2006 Ms. Holloway returned to her home town of Moate, Co. Westmeath for her first solo exhibition, "Inspirations" which was opened by well known writer and artist Don Conroy and Moate's local historian Vera Hughes. This was followed by an invitation to exhibit her work in Arklow. Co. Wicklow in the summer of 2007.
In December of 2007 her first solo Dublin exhibition took place at Airfield House, Dundrum, Co. Dublin. The exhibition, titled "Reflections", was opened by Senator Eoghan Harris who highlighted Ms. Holloway's ability to draw, which he finds an important skill in an artist. He also referred to the former Miss Ireland and model as "the Nigella Lawson of Irish artists", referring to the force and energy in her work, and the glamour of the artist herself.
