Latest news with #HughLaneGallery
Irish Independent
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Abbey Church on Parnell Square finally sheds its scaffolding after 18 years
The 180-foot spire of the Abbey Presbyterian Church, which featured in James Joyce's Ulysses and Dubliners, is now displayed in all its glory after a restoration project finished. The church is 160 years old this year and was constructed under the guidance of Scottish architect Andrew Heiton. Dublin merchant Alexander Findlater bankrolled the £14,000 project which took two years to build. The scaffolding on the tower face and spire was installed to protect people on the ground in case any remnants of the structural damage fell onto the street below. The restoration – partly funded by the historic structures fund – involved extensive stone repairs, the installation of stainless steel components, as well as cleaning, repointing and decorative work. According to Reverend Alan Boal, the church fell into disrepair after the wrong building materials were used on a restoration project in the 1960s. Concrete was used instead of the original materials of lime mortar. 'The concrete eventually cracked which let water in and eroded the iron work which held the thing together,' Reverend Boal said. 'It's called a cantilever scaffold and it was there purely to protect people on the ground in case something fell off the building.' Reverand Boal said it was difficult to fundraise for the restoration of the abbey. 'We really struggled to raise the money, so we sold a building that we originally had. The heritage grant has been a really big support for us,' he said. Despite the tower being marred by scaffolding for 18 years, the actual building took just over a year. 'Ironically, the work we had to do actually hasn't taken long. It was redoing a restoration job that wasn't particularly well done in the 1960s and 70s,' he said. 'Because the Abbey is a protected structure, we had to ensure that all of the facing stone came from the exact same quarry in Devon.' Green Party local councillor Janet Horner said scaffolding on a building can impact the way people view our city. 'Unfortunately, in Dublin, we have a problem with timelines. These maintenance projects tend to bloat very quickly,' she said. 'It does impact how people see the city, construction sites everywhere and scaffolding on display can lead to a hostile environment.' Cllr Horner says the redevelopment of the Abbey Church has come just at the right time 'That whole area is up for redevelopment when the Parnell Library comes in. Having that building on display really helps to add to that cultural quarter,' she said. 'Between the library, the Hugh Lane Gallery and the Poetry Museum which is coming around, having the square looking its best will be incredible. 'I really want to see those projects delivered as soon as possible,' she added.
The Journal
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
A stunning visual art exhibition in one of Dublin's most iconic cultural spaces
A VISUALLY STUNNING exhibition that tackles thought-provoking themes and explores questions that are deeply relevant in the modern-day is open to the public at one of Dublin's landmark cultural venues. The Dream Pool Intervals, a stunning new series of works by Ailbhe Ní Bhriain, is currently on display at Parnell Square's iconic Hugh Lane Gallery with admission free of charge. Visitors who come to experience The Dream Pool Intervals can expect to step into a visual world designed to explore questions of technological and ecological progress. Artist Ailbhe Ní Bhriain at the opening of Ailbhe Ní Bhriain: The Dream Pool Intervals at Hugh Lane Gallery © Naoise Culhane Photography 2025 The centrepiece of this stirring exhibit is five large-scale jacquard tapestries woven from several different materials, including cotton, wool, silk and lurex. These intricately woven works offer a commentary on an array of issues which loom large over the modern social consciousness, such as climate change, colonialism, industrialism, nature and the built environment. The effects created by Ní Bhriain's approach are unique and striking, as fragments of archival portraits merge with images of underground caves and architectural ruin, conjuring ideas of the interplay 'between contemporary threats of extinction and ancient narratives of the underworld'. Installation view Hugh Lane Gallery, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain: The Dream Pool Intervals. Image © Hugh Lane Gallery, 2025 The installations are thought-provoking, and walking through the exhibition offers visitors a chance to reflect while experiencing the work of one of Ireland's most exciting visual artists. Advertisement Ní Bhriain is an internationally celebrated artist whose work has been exhibited at venues including Broad Museum, Michigan; Whitechapel Gallery, London; Hammer Museum, LA; Istanbul Modern, Turkey; Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid; Innsbruck International Biennial, Austria; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, France and the 16th Lyon Biennale. Installation view Hugh Lane Gallery, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain: The Dream Pool Intervals. Image © Hugh Lane Gallery, 2025 Speaking about the intention behind her work, Ní Bhriain said: 'In the tapestries are images of destroyed architecture – gathered from multiple sources, icons of war and climate disaster that seem to define this period'. The title of the exhibition is a reference to 'The Dream Pool Essays', a text by the Chinese polymath Shen Kuo in 1088, which includes geological recordings that are considered to be the earliest observations of climate change. Barbara Dawson, Director at the Hugh Lane Gallery, said of the exhibition: 'In Ailbhe Ní Bhriain's monumental tapestries we are presented with mysterious mises en scéne in the ruins of previous world orders forcing us to rethink perceived concepts of progress and advancement in the face of human and ecological fragmentation.' Installation view Hugh Lane Gallery, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain: The Dream Pool Intervals. Image © Hugh Lane Gallery, 2025 Located in the heart of Dublin's city centre, the Hugh Lane Gallery is a cultural cornerstone of the city. In addition to The Dream Pool Intervals exhibition currently running, visitors can also take in the works of impressionists such as Monet and Degas, as well as Francis Bacon's Studio and many other works from the collection, all free of charge. Michael Dempsey, Head of Exhibitions, Hugh Lane Gallery, and Curator of the The Dream Pool Intervals said: 'Ní Bhriain seeks to locate our growing anxieties of crises within a world where colonial and industrial legacies are fused with the consciousness of our current moment. 'Capturing the mood of society today, the relevance of Ní Bhriain's themes cannot be understated. The Hugh Lane Gallery is delighted to present her work'. The Dream Pool Intervals exhibition, brought to you by the Hugh Lane Gallery and Dublin City Council, is open to the public until 28 September. Admission is free of charge. Find out more about what's going on at The Hugh Lane Gallery here .
