When Jesse met Máirín: Raising a hand for women's equality through the years

A collaboration between artist Jesse Jones and veteran activist Máirín de Búrca has led to a new sculpture at King's Inns, the institution of legal education

Máirin de Burca and artist Jesse Jones with a new piece, The Left Arm of Commerce, unveiled at King’s Inn in Dublin. Picture: Julien Behal 

When artist Jesse Jones began a creative residency in King’s Inns, Dublin, she was given unprecedented access to the home of the Bar of Ireland and training ground for barristers. She immersed herself in the law, living in a cottage on the grounds, walking through the buildings and trawling through the archives.

 The fact that she mainly had the place to herself when lockdown struck gave her an even more intimate connection to her surroundings. It was fitting that the muse struck one day as she walked through the grounds.