Seamus Murphy Lecture Theatre
Seamus Murphy , (1907- 1975), sculptor.
Born near Mallow, Co. Cork; attended school in Cork. At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to the stonemason John Aloysius O’Connor at St. Patrick’s Art Marble Works. Urged by his schoolteacher and friend Daniel Corkery, who recognised his talent, he studied fulltime for one year at the Crawford School of Art, after which he attended night classes. He was awarded the Gibson Travelling Scholarship in 1931, the same year he carved a Madonna and Child in polished limestone, which was exhibited at the RHA. He studied at the Académie Collarossis Paris, 1932-3, together with the Irish-American sculptor Andrew O’Connor. The following year he set up his own studio and stone yard at Blackpool, Cork. Over the next four decades he specialised in carving memorials, gravestones, and religious or commemorative sculpture, becoming renowned for his sympathetic approach to stone-carving and for the quality of his lettering.
Many of his headstones are in St. Finbarr’s Cemetery, Cork. His Virgin of the twilight, shown at the 1942 Munster Fine Art and the 1943 RHA exhibitions, is in Fitzgerald Park, Cork. His statue of St. Gobnait in Coolea, carved in limestone in 1950, is one of his finest works. In Coolea he also carved the headstone of Seán Ó Riada.
- Peter Murray
Séamus Murphy (1907 – 1975) Dealbhóir
Rugadh e gar do Mhala, Co. Chorcaí agus chuaigh sé ar scoil i gCorcaigh. Ag cúig bliana déag d’aois, cuireadh mar phrintíseach é go dtí an dealbhóir John Aloysius O’Connor ag St. Patrick’s Art Marble Works. Spreag a mhúinteoir scoile agus a chara Dónal Ó Corcara, a d’aithin an bua a bhí aige, é le staidéar a dhéanamh go lánaimseartha ar feadh bliana i Scoil Ealaíne Crawford agus ina dhiaidh sin, d’fhreastal sé ar ranganna oíche.
Bronnadh Scoláireacht Thaistil Gibson air i 1931 agus sa bhliain chéanna, shnoí sé Madonna and Child in aolchloch snasta, a cuireadh ar taispeáint sa RHA. Rinne sé staidéar ag an Académie Colarossi i bPáras, 1932 – 3, i dteannta an dealbhóra Ghael-Mheirceánaigh, Andrew O’Connor. An bhliain dár gcionn, bhunaigh sé a stiúideo agus clós cloch féin sa Linn Dubh i gCorcaigh. Le daichead bliain ina dhiaidh sin, bhí spéis faoi leith aige i gcuimhneacháin, i leaca uaighe agus i ndealbhóireacht chráifeach nó chomórtha agus bhí cáil faoi leith bainte amach aige don chur chuige báúil do shnoí cloiche agus do chaighdeán na litreoireachta a léirigh sé. Tá roinnt mhaith dá chuid clocha cinn i Reilig Naomh Fionnbharra, Corcaigh.
Taispeánadh Virgin of the Twilight i 1942 ag an taispeántas Munster Fine Art agus i 1943 ag an RHA. Tá an dealbh anois i bPáirc Mhic Ghearailt, Corcaigh. Dhear sé Séipéal Theachtaireacht an Aingil (1945) sa Linn Dubh.
Is é an dealbh de Naomh Gobnait, atá i mBaile Bhuirne, ceann de na dealbha is fearr dá chuid atá snoite as aolchloch ón mbliain 1950. I gCúil Aodha, a shnoí sé an chloch chinn atá ar uaigh Sheáin Uí Riada.
