Honan Chapel windows are brought to light again in new book on Cork’s Harry Clarke
So when she was asked to give a talk on the three Harry Clarke windows in her local church, St Joseph’s, in Terenure, Dublin, she jumped at the chance.
“I thought 20 people would turn up to the event, but there were 200,” she says. “There was a lot of interest. People wanted to know more. They were asking if I had anything written down about it.”
The idea appealed. Published widely, Patricia had already written a book about Holy Trinity Church and the Capuchin Order, so she approached the parish priest.
“I asked would he be interested in co-operating on a book about the windows, and he said he would, if I would include the church’s other stained glass windows as well.”
When Patricia researched the other windows, and discovered that they came from Harry Clarke’s studio — executed after the artist’s untimely death from TB — her excitement grew.
“That makes the church unique,” she says. “In that along with the exquisite examples of Clark’s work, you also have his legacy. It’s the only place that I’m aware of, where you have the full spectrum of his work.
“And the other two, Richard King and William J. Dowling are excellent stained glass artists in their own right. The church is a national treasure and few people know about it.”
Her book, Harry Clarke and his Legacy, published by Liberties Press, is a comprehensive guide to the church, to the windows, and Harry Clarke’s life, and makes for fascinating reading.
Born in 1889, Clarke was introduced to stained glass by his father, who had a business in church decoration.
He was educated at Belvedere College (1896-1903) where his drawing ability was noted. He joined the family business, where he worked under William Nagle, one of the artists employed by his father who taught him drawing and design for stained glass.
He attended the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin, and the National Art Training School in Kensington.
According to Curtin-Kelly’s book, Clarke won a gold medal for stained glass in a national competition in three successive years (1911-13). The following year he won a scholarship from the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, which he used to study in France.
Clarke produced more than 130 windows in his short life, and he was also a prominent illustrator of books – including Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson. On his father’s death, he took over the family business, before setting up his own studio in 1930. He died in Switzerland just a year later.
All the windows in St Joseph’s are described in the book – with beautiful photographs taken by the author’s daughter, Clodagh Evelyn Kelly. What is it that especially appeals to the author?
“It’s his drawing and attention to detail. Who else would think of placing ballet slippers on an angel? And who would put in all those underskirts and sashes and different headdresses? The work is astonishing, and still looks modern by today’s standards.”
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