Celebrated artist returns to her Lorrha creations

THE celebrated artist Imogen Stuart returned to her acclaimed sculptures in Lorrha during a special occasion held during Heritage Week in St Ruadhan's Church.
The 95 year old sculptor told the gathering in the church on Sunday week last that this was her first time to visit the sculptures since she created them in 1977.
The works of art are made of cedar wood and include a lectern (ambo), altar and priest's chair.
The first words of John's Gospel (“In principio erat verbum”) are inscribed on the altar beside an image of St John.
On the lectern the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, is depicted.
Imogen's fantastic sculptures are not the only wonderful works of art on display in St Ruadhan's. A stunning Tabernacle, created by metalworker Niall O'Neill (from Wicklow) is also on view. This incredible tabernacle was inspired by the famous Lorrha Missal. Niall was also present in the church with Imogen for the Heritage Week occasion. Beside the Tabernacle is his Sanctuary Lamp.
The stained glass windows are from 1920 and were made in the Celtic Revivalist style in a studio in Youghal. They portray St Ruadhán, patron saint of the parish, and St Patrick. The windows were donated by local families.
Michael Killeen designed the beautiful hanging cross in the sanctuary showing a resurrected Christ, fashionable in post Vatican Council days and a revival of an early tradition in High Crosses, this one being influenced by the Dysert O'Dea cross in Clare, circa 1160.
Overall, it is an extraordinary collection of the highest quality art in a small rural church. Such a rich collection is of course unusual for rural churches. It adds significantly to the rich ecclesiastical heritage in Lorrha which has the striking remains of a Dominican Priory and an Augustinian Abbey.
The MC for Imogen and Niall's visit was the former Lyric FM presenter Trish Taylor Thompson, who, after retiring from radio broadcasting, has devoted herself to art. “This church is 200 years old,” she said. “It lies within the shadow of the Dominican Priory and stones from the Priory were used in its construction. The feeling in this part of Lorrha is that we are in a spiritual, a holy place.” She welcomed two guest speakers, Fr Tom O'Halloran PP of Lorrha, and Sr Patrice Coen, Sisters of Mercy and a sister of Tony Coen from Lorrha.
Fr O'Halloran spoke about the dramatic change in the Catholic Church's liturgy post Vatican II. He said liturgy was sometimes an emotive and controversial subject for people. He told a little joke to illustrate the point, joking that people strongly devoted to the liturgy they were accustomed to can be as stubborn and unbending as the most severe of religious ideologues. He pointed out that nothing can stir up the conversation in some of our kitchens and drawing rooms as much as the subject of liturgy “because it is very much about who we are, about our identity.”
“If you came into this church pre Vatican II a number of things would have been different. There would have been a high altar and altar rails. The priest's back was to the people. People would have been sitting quietly in their pews, perhaps praying, perhaps reciting their rosary. Mass would have been said in Latin.” Following Vatican II these things were swept away and the modern system was introduced. It must have felt startling and unwelcome to some; while others would have said, 'About time'. The system became much more focussed on the people. Fr O'Halloran pointed out that 'Elements of Rite: A Handbook of Liturgical Style' by Aidan Kavanagh gives important insights into this subject.
Sr Patrice said she loves Imogen's works. “Her altar is the perfect expression of Aidan Kavanagh's definition of how altars should be built. They are elegant, strong, simple. These post Vatican II altars invite the people to congregate around them. They embrace the people rather than keep them at arm's length.”
Sr Patrice added that it would have been unusual in the 1970s to see a woman working with and carving on these great pieces of wood. Such work was considered more of a male domain.
Imogen said this was an emotional and special occasion for her. She congratulated everyone who had organised the event. She said the glossy publication produced for the gathering was outstandingly well done.
She said she has been a sculptor for 75 years but sadly she doesn't have the strength to use hammer and chisel anymore. However, she continues to plan and oversee works.
Niall O'Neill humbly commented that no matter how hard the artist tries to imitate a work of art such as the Lorrha Missal he can never be as good as the original. As we looked at his Tabernacle we wondered about the veracity of that statement.
Niall pointed out that he would like to see more apprenticeships in the world of art. The decline in the number of apprenticeships is problematic, he said.
Niall said he and Imogen have been good friends for many years.
Following this Ann O'Riordan played “Non je ne regrette rien.”
Imogen said she and Niall worked a lot together and “he was the most wonderful metalworker.”
She said in the 1970s she had a friend in the Dominicans. “He was a fan of my work and he suggested I do something here in Lorrha. That's how the Lorrha project came about.”
She pointed out that she was commissioned many times by the Catholic Church to create something and, apart from one unpleasant, arrogant Bishop, she always found the experience to be a positive one.
She recalled that in 1945 at the age of 17 she became an apprentice to Otto Hitzberger, an Expressionist Sculptor in Berlin. “On the first day Otto said to me, 'Don't call me Professor. I am to be called Master.' It was the ancient way of sculpting apprenticeships. I had a wonderful time.” Also studying sculpting under Hitzberger was her future husband Ian Stuart (who was the grandson of Maud Gonne). They moved to Ireland in 1949, married in 1951 and took up residence in Laragh Castle near Glendalough.
Imogen fell in love with Ireland from the get-go. “I came from a beautiful country which had been destroyed by war,” she recalled, “and I had moved to a stunning country. However, it was marred by poverty.”
Local Poet Anne Marie Hough read an excellently crafted poem dedicated to Imogen which got a warm round of applause.
Imogen said she often worked in cedar. It was a type of wood she enjoyed working in. Noah's ark might have been made of cedar, she told us.