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Sculpture In Context

DEMOLITION DAVE’S MEMORIAL AT THE SMITHFIELD TRAM STOP

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A FREQUENTLY UNNOTICED TRIBUTE

Amidst the bustling crowds at Smithfield Luas stop, an unassuming memorial stands as a silent homage to a remarkable man whose legacy often escapes the hurried gaze of passersby.

Dave Conway, a father of two, met an untimely end at the tender age of 38, victim to a tragic motorbike accident. His indelible mark, however, remains etched in Dublin’s urban fabric.

As a Demolition Manager, Dave played a pivotal role in shaping the LUAS construction project — an endeavour that now crisscrosses our city. His dedication and expertise left an indelible imprint on the very tracks we traverse daily.

For nearly a year, I delved into the mystery surrounding the sculpture adjacent to the tram stop. It remained an enigma until a serendipitous moment revealed its creator: James Gannon. This gifted artist, working with stone and bronze from his Dublin and Roscommon studios, breathed life into the unassuming structure.
The Bench That Speaks: Some dismiss it as such. But look closer. Trace the tramlines etched into its form—the subtle nod to the very tracks Dave once navigated. Curious, I engaged fellow Dubliners in conversation. Not one had noticed its deeper significance until I pointed out those embedded rails.

Gannon’s career highlights include:

Gold Medal, Irish Landscape Exhibit (EXPO ’91 Osaka, Japan): This prestigious award in 1991 was in recognition of his outstanding granite sculptures.

Public Commissions: He’s created numerous public sculptures, such as those decorating the façade of Dublin’s historic Fruit and Fish Market Buildings, and a large granite piece dedicated to the Travelling Community at Parslickstown.

Representation of Ireland: In 2001, Gannon represented Ireland at the Symposium du Granit des Marches de Bretagne in France.

His work often explores themes of heritage, growth, and the interplay between natural and human-made forms. One notable piece, “Hybrid Vigour”, was inspired by his grandfather and the agricultural concept of cross-breeding to achieve greater strength.

MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN’S DAY 2023

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A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA

THE TOWN OF TRIM PHOTO BLOG

Irish sculptor, James McKenna, was born in Dublin on the 21st June 1933.

I visited the area in order to photograph this on Christmas Day but because of of weather conditions I was unable to use my camera so I had no option but to wait until St Stephen’s Day.

This area, in Trim, on the banks of the River Boyne has improved over recent years but it is still a bit untidy and the plaque which was missing last year has not been replaced.

Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, also called Máel Sechnaill Mór or Máel Sechnaill II (949 – 2 September 1022), was a King of Mide and High King of Ireland. His great victory at the Battle of Tara against Olaf Cuaran in 980 resulted in Gaelic Irish control of the Kingdom of Dublin.

Máel Sechnaill belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill dynasty. He was the grandson of Donnchad Donn, great-grandson of Flann Sinna and great-great-grandson of the first Máel Sechnaill, Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid. The Kings of Tara or High Kings of Ireland had for centuries alternated between the various Uí Néill branches. By Máel Sechnaill’s time this alternating succession passed between Clann Cholmáin in the south and the Cenél nEógain in the north, so that he succeeded Domnall ua Néill in 980. This system had survived previous challenges by outsiders including the kings of Ulster, Munster and Leinster, and the Viking invasions.

In 980, Olav Cuarán, King of Dublin, summoned auxiliaries from Norse-ruled Scottish Isles and from Mann and attacked Meath, but was defeated by Máel Sechnaill at the Battle of Tara. Reginald, Olaf’s heir, was killed. Máel Sechnaill followed up his victory with a siege of Dublin which surrendered after three days and nights. When Maél Sechnaill took Dublin in 980, according to the Annals of Tigernach, he freed all the slaves then residing in the city.

SAWFISH BY FRANK HALLINAN FLOOD

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Frank’s sculpture, DRAGONFLY won The Goodbody Award for a work of distinction in any medium at the Sculpture in Context exhibition 2021 in the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland.

Frank was born in Dublin. Leaving school at 14 he worked in a sheet metal factory for two years. Having been temporarily blinded while welding he became a clerical officer in the Civil Service.

Meanwhile Frank studied painting under John Skelton at the Peoples College, Dublin.

He was awarded a four year, full time scholarship to the National College of Art & Design. While there he was Awarded the DiMarco Touring Bursary and travelled in Europe.

CORROSION BY JEN DONNERY

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I decided to check the meaning of corrosion – “Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engineering is the field dedicated to controlling and preventing corrosion.”

Her 2020 solo show Mater Materia took place in the Dunamaise Arts Centre; she was shortlisted for the DCCI Future Makers Awards in the same year. Her drawings, paintings and ceramic sculptures engage with themes of maternity, femininity, and the capacity of a woman’s body to produce and nurture human life. Donnery’s work has been selected for the 2019 Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin, and Sculpture in Context, 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the National Botanic Gardens. In 2017, she was awarded a residency at the Laois Arthouse for her work in the Dunamaise Open Submission Exhibition.

MOTHER EARTH WITH SUN MOON AND STARS BY BETTY NEWMAN MAGUIRE

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I already photographed this early in September but no details were available at the time.

Betty Newman-Maguire was born in Kells, Co. Meath in 1952. She is a practising artist who graduated with a First Class Hons B.A. Degree in Sculpture from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin in 1988 and was awarded a Master of Fine Art from the University of Ulster, Belfast in 1998. She has exhibited widely and is the recipient of many awards, public commissions and residencies in Ireland, France, Germany and America. Newman-Maguire has mounted 16 solo exhibitions in Ireland, Germany and America. Her work is in numerous private and public collections worldwide.

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