Honorary Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen and Staff and Children of the Central Model Senior Primary School,
I am delighted to be here today, in a part of the city that I know well as a former Minister for Education, to launch this new postage stamp commemorating the work of the renowned stained glass artist, Harry Clarke, on the 75th anniversary of his untimely death in 1931, when aged just 41. Born in Dublin in 1889, Harry specialised in both books illustration and stained glass but his passion was for the latter, evidenced by some 40 glass-based works completed in his all-too-short lifetime. Working in his father’s stained glass studio, he demonstrated early on a flair and maturity for this most technically demanding of art forms. His obvious talent helped him secure a scholarship at the Metropolitan School of Art and his remarkable early works won him several gold medals. His unique style and use of rich colours singled him out as one of the greatest artists in his field and would eventually lead to global recognition. His works, incorporating religious, secular and literary themes, are to be found in numerous churches and buildings around Ireland and indeed worldwide. Prestigious works of art range from the famous windows that adorn Bewleys in Grafton St. to the then controversial Government-commissioned Geneva window, generally considered his masterpiece. This important work fuses the more traditional images of religious iconography with less conventional imagery depicting various scenes from the works of contemporary Irish writers, including those from censored works such as Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’. It is interesting to note that this window, because of its controversial and overt content, was not considered a suitable work to represent Ireland in the new League of Nations building it was intended for in Geneva. Sadly it was disposed of privately but is now in public ownership in America and can be seen at the University of Florida in Miami.
Harry Clarke’s legacy lives on in present generations and the Central Model School, where Harry went to school, bears witness to this in the form of the wonderful stained glass window recently created by the school’s 6th class pupils who are present here today. I have to say that I am very impressed with your unique interpretation of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale completed with the assistance of Peter Young.
This wonderful project formed part of a wider Stained Glass Project, hosted by The Ark, the children's cultural centre in Temple Bar. As a former teacher and former education minister, it gives me particular pleasure to be associated with this happy occasion, so appropriately held here in the Central Model School. The school was one of only five Dublin primary schools chosen to participate in the stained glass project, which was supported by An Post. It was inspired by the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, which Harry Clarke was commissioned to illustrate early on in his career.
The stained glass window on view here today will be displayed as a permanent work of art in the school.
To mark this auspicious occasion, I am proud to launch the issue of this new postage stamp to commemorate Harry Clarke’s vast and varied body of work. The stamp was selected following a major request for suggestions for An Post’s Annual Special and Commemorative Stamp Programme. The Company receives a huge volume of suggestions from many different sources and all proposals received are considered carefully by the Philatelic Advisory Committee. That Committee recommends an Annual Stamp Programme to Government, which includes stamps celebrating significant events and anniversaries from Irish history and culture.
The stamp itself features an image of St. Hubert, which forms part of a stained glass window designed in 1921 by Clarke and now housed in St. Hubert’s Church in Carnalway, Co. Kildare.
I would like to thank those responsible for the artwork on the stamp, especially Harry Weir who photographed the image and Steve Simpson who designed the stamp.
Finally, I would like to thank An Post for their contribution in commemorating the work of this most important of Irish artists. Harry Clarke is widely recognised as one of the greatest stained glass artists, whose work has inspired new generations of stained glass artists, some of whom, it would appear, are here today!
ENDS