Irish sculptor, James McKenna, was born in Dublin on the 21st June 1933.
I visited the area in order to photograph this on Christmas Day but because of of weather conditions I was unable to use my camera so I had no option but to wait until St Stephen’s Day.
This area, in Trim, on the banks of the River Boyne has improved over recent years but it is still a bit untidy and the plaque which was missing last year has not been replaced.
Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, also called Máel Sechnaill Mór or Máel Sechnaill II (949 – 2 September 1022), was a King of Mide and High King of Ireland. His great victory at the Battle of Tara against Olaf Cuaran in 980 resulted in Gaelic Irish control of the Kingdom of Dublin.
Máel Sechnaill belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill dynasty. He was the grandson of Donnchad Donn, great-grandson of Flann Sinna and great-great-grandson of the first Máel Sechnaill, Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid. The Kings of Tara or High Kings of Ireland had for centuries alternated between the various Uí Néill branches. By Máel Sechnaill’s time this alternating succession passed between Clann Cholmáin in the south and the Cenél nEógain in the north, so that he succeeded Domnall ua Néill in 980. This system had survived previous challenges by outsiders including the kings of Ulster, Munster and Leinster, and the Viking invasions.
In 980, Olav Cuarán, King of Dublin, summoned auxiliaries from Norse-ruled Scottish Isles and from Mann and attacked Meath, but was defeated by Máel Sechnaill at the Battle of Tara. Reginald, Olaf’s heir, was killed. Máel Sechnaill followed up his victory with a siege of Dublin which surrendered after three days and nights. When Maél Sechnaill took Dublin in 980, according to the Annals of Tigernach, he freed all the slaves then residing in the city.
MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY [A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA]-226383-1
MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY [A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA]-226384-1
MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY [A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA]-226386-1
MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY [A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA]-226388-1
MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY [A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA]-226385-1
MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL LOOKED RATHER LONELY ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY [A SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA]-226387-1
ST. MARTIN DE PORRES SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA – CHURCH ON CLADDAGH QUAY IN GALWAY
The first time that I tried to photograph this statue back in 2015 a lady in a large black SUV insisted on parking in such a manner as to block my view of this statue and she was very rude. I had to wait until my 2017 visit to get this photograph [in 2016 I forgot to photograph it].
Naomh Máirtín de Porres. The patron saint of mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony.
Irish Sculptor, JAMES McKENNA (1933 – 2000)
This statue caught me by surprise as I had originally believed it to be a “Mother And Child” statue however it is a granite sculpture showing St. Martin de Porres in the act of pouring soup into a bowl for a hungry child while laying a comforting hand on the youngster’s head.
Martin de Porres Velázquez, O.P. (December 9, 1579 – November 3, 1639), was a Peruvian lay brother of the Dominican Order who was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, and all those seeking racial harmony.
He was noted for his work on behalf of the poor, establishing an orphanage and a children’s hospital. He maintained an austere lifestyle, which included fasting and abstaining from meat. Among the many miracles attributed to him were those of levitation, bilocation, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures, and an ability to communicate with animals.
St. Mary’s Dominican church was designed by William Hague. With its rock-faced granite walls and finely detailed round-headed arches, this handsome church has often been described as being of Norman style. Features such as a carved tympanum and moulded surrounds at the front entrance as well as fine windows enliven the composition. This structure is a good example of the return of the Romanesque style linked with the Celtic Revival-style church architecture of the late nineteenth century. The well-preserved and decorated interior with its richly ornamented reredos, altar and font is especially worthy of note.
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