Seamus Murphy Centenary Cork Celebrations

To mark the centenary of the birth of sculptor Seamus Murphy, a series of celebratory events will take place from April to September this year.

Cork City Council and Michael O’Flynn, of O’Flynn Construction are the two sponsors of the events.

Seamus Murphy, born in 1907, was a sculptor with an international reputation.  He specialised in memorials, gravestones, portraits and commemorative sculpture.  He was also renowned for his sympathetic approach to stone carving, and for the quality of his lettering.

Cllr. Mairin Quill, City Council Special Project Chairperson for the Seamus Murphy Centenary Season said “Seamus Murphy’s work brings to life the history of the century past, especially his lifelike sculptors of Countess Markiewiez, Jack Lynch, Michael Collins plus writers and musicians such as Frank O’Connor and Sean O’Riada, to mention but a few”.

“Seamus Murphy’s life and work is important to Cork and it is vital that we promote his genius here at home and abroad,” said sponsor Michael O’Flynn of O’Flynn Construction.

The Seamus Murphy Centenary Season will include an exhibition in the Sculpture galleries at Crawford Art Gallery; a major publication which has a social and cultural history, biography and critical analysis of the sculptor; an adaptation of the book ‘Stone Mad’ at the Everyman Palace; lectures and exhibitions at Cork City Libraries; an exhibition of his monuments, gravestones and crosses at the Cork Public Museum; an educational pack and tour for primary and secondary schools; a symposium that addresses the skills and craft of stone sculpting in a contemporary context.

“This is a major Seamus Murphy retrospective, and as Seamus died relatively recently in 1975 a lot of his friends and family will be involved, and we also get the opportunity to introduce his work to a new audience here at home and abroad,” said City Manager Joe Gavin.