William Murphy

RUSH BY MARTIN O’KEEFE SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT CATALOGUE REF 137

September 29, 2023 by infomatique

I USED A SONY SEL FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS LENS

Born in Newry Co. Down, raised in West Cork and Dublin, Martin O’Keefe is a visual artist who works primarily in the mediums of stainless and mild steel, aluminium, copper and brass.

I wanted to see how well my Sony FE 70-200MM lens would on the Sony A7RIV body so I decided to visit the Sculpture In Context 2023 exhibition at the Botanic Gardens. The lens cost me about Euro 3,000. It has been replaced by a new version which is supposed to be much better.

THE ÉIRE 1798 MEMORIAL IS THE CENTRAL FEATURE OF SAINT MICHAN’S PARK IN DUBLIN

September 21, 2023 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED BY WILLIAM MURPHY

St. Michan’s park was first developed by Dublin Corporation as a park in 1898 and was refurbished by the parks division between 1996-7. Facilities include a toddlers’ play area, a handball alley [which was closed for many months and may not be operational even now] and seating with associated shrub plantings.

As you may have noticed from my photographs the statue of Erin is the central feature of Saint Michan’s Park.

Éire 1798 Memorial (1903)
Artist Unknown
Commissioned by Dublin Corporation.

The statue of Éire is positioned on a raised area of the green with a high pedestal; and dated at the base to 1903. This date puts the installation of the statue at some five years after the park opened. When the site was transformed into a public park the mound had been designed to hold a memorial and the pedestal was installed by at least 1899.

The site was inherently political due to its association with Newgate prison, the walls of which were consciously retained as the outline of the park. Newgate Prison was where many United Irishmen (here commemorated in relief tablets around the base) were incarcerated and this monument was raised to commemorate
the centenary of the death of rebel leader, Robert Emmet.

Éire’s demeanour is subdued and downcast, holding a funerary wreath, a wolfhound looks up at her from one side and in the background the nationalist symbol of the high cross is clearly visible. The base of the monument has an inscription in Irish script with reference to the history of the prison. It reads:

Within this park once stood Newgate prison
Associated in dark and evil days with the doing to death of
Confessors of Irish liberty who gave their lives to vindicate
Their country’s right to National independence
This memorial is erected to perpetuate their memory
To honour their motives and to inculcate a grateful reverence
In Irish minds for sacrifices thus nobly made
For freedom and to proclaim Ireland’s fidelity
To the principles of the men whose names are heron inscribed
In the belief that these will yet redeem and
Regenerate our fatherland for subjection

PHOENIX RISING BY MICHAEL CHARLES KEANE

September 7, 2023 by infomatique

SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT 2023 PREVIEW 2 SEPTEMBER 2023

In order to preview Sculpture In Context I visited the exhibition on the Saturday and Sunday before the exhibition officially opened. I used a Canon 5DIII on the first day and a Sigma Dp3 Quattro on the Sunday.

The works on display were not labelled until Thursday and they is when I purchased the catalogue.

Sculpture in Context is the largest sculpture exhibition in Ireland. It is an annual event organised by Sculpture in Context, an artist-led organisation, in association with the Office of Public Works and the National Botanic Gardens. The exhibition showcases the work of over 120 artists using a wide range of media, from the smallest, most intricate ceramic works to stone sculptures of monumental scale. The sculptures are displayed throughout the 50 acres of beautifully-landscaped grounds of the National Botanic Gardens, creating a unique and inspiring experience for visitors.

The 2023 exhibition will run from September 7 to October 13. The opening hours are from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week. Admission is free.

SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT 2023

THE HERMIT’S CAVE AND NEARBY

September 1, 2023 by infomatique

ST ANNE’S PARK IN RAHENY

The ‘Bridge & Hermitage’ spans the Nanekin River and houses the magical Hermit’s Cave. With its ancient stone entrance, visiting the Hermit’s Cave feels like stepping into a storybook where imagination come to life.

The Naniken River is a minor river on the north side of Dublin city, Ireland, one of more than forty watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council. It is culverted for its upper course, visible in St Anne’s Park for its entire lower course, and causes flooding somewhere along its line most years. The river flows entirely within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council.

The origins of the name, also spelt sometimes as Nannikin or Naneken, are unclear, though it has been speculated that it might be a diminutive reflection of the much-larger Nanny River flowing just north of the County Dublin boundary.

The Naniken is a central feature of Dublin’s second largest municipal park, a former Guinness family estate. It passes in a shady channel through an area of playing fields, runs through the Dublin City Millennium Arboretum, and then flows in a more distinct valley through the central reaches of the park. In the 19th century there was a pond northwest of the modern-day nursery, with a small waterfall, but this is entirely gone now. Some artificial features were constructed for the Guinnesses near the river, including ornamental bridges (one high bridge was removed for safety reasons in the 1980s), at least one ford, and a couple of wider areas. Near the coast an offtake supplies the Duck Pond (or Old Pond), while the river itself flows around and passes under the James Larkin Road to enter the western half of the “lagoon” (also known as Crab Water or Raheny Lake) behind North Bull Island. The line of the Naniken from its mouth marks the boundary of the civil parish of Raheny with that of Clontarf, and the beginning of the Raheny portion of the Bull Island.

This small but long-established river causes flooding, as with the neighbouring Wad River, in many years. Frequent locations include Maryfield Crescent, Rosemount Avenue and parts of Kilmore. In 2014, the City Manager acknowledged the flood risks, noted that there was no near-term funding for serious remedial works, but agreed that the City Council would invest 60,000 euro in a hydraulic study.

THE WOODLANDS AT ST ANNE’S PARK

September 1, 2023 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED IN AUGUST 2023

It has taken me a few weeks to get around to processing this series of images.

The 17th and 18th centuries show the largest decline of forests and woodlands in Ireland. The invention of the blast furnace in the mid-16th century permitted the production of iron and glass on an industrial scale, which required large volumes of charcoal. This resulted in a large amount of forests having to be coppiced or felled. The demand for timber was further increased for use in the construction of ships and buildings, as well as wood for the tanneries. These all contributed to forest decline.

By the beginning of the 20th century, around one percent of the country was covered in woodland, so the State began a re- afforestation programme. The aims of this programme were primarily to establish a forest resource that would supply Ireland’s timber needs and, latterly, to develop a viable national timber industry. This afforestation effort consisted mainly of the planting of coniferous tree species, such as Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi).
In 1996, the Government published Growing for the Future, which set targets for the forestry sector to 2035. It established that, in order to reach a scale of timber production large enough to support local industries, the national forest estate would need to increase to 17% of total land area by 2030.
In 2019, Coillte, the state owned forestry business, launched its not- for-profit branch: Coillte Nature. Its aims are: to reforest Ireland by planting new native woodlands on un-forested lands and mono species plantations; to restore important biodiversity areas by improving habitats; to regenerate urban forests; and to rehabilitate ecosystem services by bringing sensitive or degraded lands into better health across Ireland.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of St Anne’s park are the avenues of fine trees, which originally framed the main house. Notably the long and wide East/West Avenue is planted with Holm oaks (Quercus ilex), Monterey pines (Pinus radiata) and Austrian Pines (Pinus nigra). There are several other avenues framed with yews (Taxus baccata), horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocatanum), Holm oaks or Monterey pines. Another feature of St. Anne’s Park is the extensive planting of holm oak. This species, resistant to sea wind, was selected by the Guinness family to act as a shelter belt along its coastal boundary and along the boundary of the park. It was also Lord Ardilaun’s favourite tree.

The Naniken River flows through the park and its banks are dominated by large and mature beech (Fagus sylvatica). Adjacent woodlands contain Holm oak, Monterey cypress, yew, and horse chestnut, as well as self-seeded trees, including wych elm (Ulmus glabra), ash trees and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).

Woodland species, such as wild garlic (Allium ursinum), Hart’s-tongue (Asplenium scolopendrium), lords and ladies (Arum maculatum), lesser celandines (Ficaria verna) and primroses (Primula vulgaris) can be found in the field layer during springtime.