Munster In 30 Artworks, No 3: Night’s Candles are Burnt Out, by Seán Keating

The painting by the Limerick artist was one of series he did on the construction of the hydro-electric scheme at Ardnacrusha

A detail from Night’s Candles Are Burnt Out by Sean Keating. The painting is currently on loan to the Hunt Museum in Limerick from Gallery Oldham.

The construction of the hydro-electric scheme at Ardnacrusha, Co Limerick was one of the most important projects undertaken by the nascent Irish Free State. Between 1925 and 1929, thousands toiled on the enterprise, which centered on damming the mighty River Shannon. The Shannon Scheme was not without controversy; many thought it was an appalling waste of expenditure that might otherwise have been spent on social housing and job creation.

But Ardnacrusha also had its champions. Among them was Seán Keating, the artist and social commentator, who saw it as heralding the future Ireland, an industrial nation that could be the equal of any other on earth.