Artist with Kildare connections killed in traffic accident

A FEMALE pedestrian who died after being involved in a single vehicle collision in Co Carlow has been named locally. Philippa Bayliss (85), the well-known visual artist originally from Kilkenny but who was living in Myshall village for almost 20 years, was involved in the incident at around 5.30pm on Monday.

Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to the collision, involving a car and a pedestrian, and Ms Bayliss, formerly of Ardclough, Co Kildare was pronounced deceased at the scene. The coroner has been notified and Ms Bayliss’s body was removed to University Hospital Waterford (UHW), where a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

No other injuries were reported.

Local independent councillor Charlie Murphy expressed his “deep sympathy and that of the community” to her family.

“Philippa was highly respected and known for her generosity with her time and her generosity to the community. What happened is very tragic for her family and our community. She will be sadly missed by us all,” he said.

The mother of three sons was born in Kilkenny in 1940 and undertook her formal training as a painter at the Beam Shaw School of painting in London from 1961 to 1965, where Ms Bayliss became involved in the developing cultural movement She also studied under Bernard Dunstan, Maurice de Sausmarez, Peter Greenham and Marc Vaux and Jane Dowling for printmaking.

Ms Bayliss became the first curator of Castletown House and had her paintings included in public collections in the Bank of Ireland, AIB Group, the Butler Gallery, the Mater Private Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin. Her paintings were also represented in private collections worldwide and she was a member of the Artists Association of Ireland.

Throughout her life, Ms Bayliss lived in Ireland, England, Sri Lanka, USA, Vienna, France, Mexico and Sicily.

The scene of the accident is being examined for technical purposes by garda forensic collision investigators. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash cam) and were travelling in the area between 5pm and 5.30pm on Monday are asked to make this footage available to investigating gardaí.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Carlow Garda Station on (059) 9136620, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

Garda investigations into the incident are ongoing.