Michael Healy’s diary pages from the Easter 1916 vividly convey the chaos and confusion on Dublin’s streets in the aftermath of the Rising and give witness to the destruction of the RHA’s headquarters, Academy House, writes David Carron
Only a small extract has survived from the diary kept by Michael Healy (1873-1941) one of Ireland’s foremost stained glass artists. It is however of very particular interest as it records events in April and May 1916 and offers a first-hand impression of conditions in Dublin during the Easter Rising, including the total destruction of Academy House, the headquarters of the RHA then on lower Abbey Street. The diary excerpt is now in the collection of the National Irish Visual Arts Library at NCAD and, along with some related images, is accessible online at www.nival.ie. Healy’s diary was given to the author by Mrs Maureen O’Kelly, the daughter-in-law of Healy’s longtime landlady Mrs Elizabeth Kelly.
Proving that good design is timeless, Virginia Teehan presents a selection of rare artefacts travelling to Boston College, celebrating Irish design from the Arts and Crafts Movement.
In response to the 1916 centenary, EVA International takes as its theme, the post-colonial legacy on the psyche and imagination of colonized communities, writes Michaele Cutaya.
A recent visit to Sligo County Library prompts Peter Harbison to ask, could our national institutions do more to give local communities access to their treasures?