Ross Castle, Killarney, with villagers on a ferryboat

Watercolours of Irish subjects by Paul Sandby are rare, only a few drawings are known, though there are thirty Irish views engraved in Sandby's One Hundred and Fifty Select Views ..., 1781. It is unlikely that Sandby himself travelled to Ireland, as a visit would surely be referred to in his correspondance. It was a common practice at this date to work up drawings from other artists' sketches and there are three works in the possession of the Hamilton Art Gallery, Australia by Paul Sandby, including another view of Ross Castle, which appear to be based on sketches by the amateur Irish artist Lord Portarlington (John Dawson), who was an habituáe of Sandby's house when he was in London. (see A. Crookshank and the Knight of Glin, The Watercolours of Ireland, London, 1994, p. 45).