President unveils a piece of public art by the late Edward Delaney

Óráid Uachtaráin Micheál D. Ó hUigínn le linn dó saothar ealaíne de chuid Edward Delaney a nochtadh

Trá an Dóilín, An Cheathrú Rua, 2 Meán Fómhair 2016

Tuigim go bhfuil roinnt daoine linn inniú nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu, mar sin, le bhur gcead, labhróidh mé i mBéarla ó am go chéile i rith m'óráide. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh tuiscint iomlán ag cairde agus ag clann Eddie Delaney faoin tábhacht atá ag baint leis an ócáid, ní amháin don phobal anseo, ach d'oidhreacht ealaíonta na hÉireann chomh maith.

A chairde, tá lúcháir orm a bheith anseo inniu chun ómós a thabhairt d’iar-bhall oirirc d’Aosdána agus den Acadamh Ibeirneach Ríoga, agus leis an sathaor ealaíne iontach seo a nochtadh.

Ba mhaith liom, ar an gcéad dul síos, buíochas a ghabháil le pháirtí Edward, an Dr Anne Gillen, leis an tUasal Seán Ó Domhaill agus le baill Chomharchumann Mhic Dara as an gcuireadh a thugadar dom a bheith libh inniu.

Tá sé íontach chomh maith go bhfuil mórchuid de chlann Eddie Delaney inár dteannta, idir a pháistí féin agus a gharr-pháistí. Tá sé mar chomhartha den mheas atá ag an gclann ar an bpobal anseo sa Cheathrú Rua, an phobal inar chaith Eddie a shaol ó na h-ochtódaí go dtí a bháis i 2009, go bhfuil siad tar éis an saothair ealaíona iontach seo a chur ar fáil do chách. Ní dóigh liom féin go bhfuil suíomh níos oiriúnaí dó ná an áit álainn seo, Trá an Dóilín, ag breathnú amach ar Chuan an Fhir Mhóir, ar Litir Mór agus ar Oileáin Árann.

In thanking all of Edward Delaney's family for making this sculpture available to the public, I am reminded of Eddie's own preoccupation with the importance of context for his art. This has been considered in detail by his son Eamon, in his excellent and moving book on Eddie's life, Breaking the Mould, which is also a fascinating account of the arts and of politics in Ireland, particularly in the sixties and seventies.

Eddie had made his reputation to a large extent through working in bronze but he instinctively knew that this would not suit the land and seascapes of An Cheathrú Rua. Conamara demanded a different medium and Eddie turned to other metals, steel and even fibreglass to give expression to his ideas. When you stand here and see the result in this most stunning piece, which could not be placed in a more perfect setting, you can appreciate something of the exceptional talent that Eddie possessed.

Nuair a fhéachtar ar shaothar fairsing Edward Delaney, tá sé deacair meastóireacht chruinn a dhéanamh air. Dar ndóigh tá cáill air de bharr na saothar lena léirítear Wolfe Tone, Tomás Dáibhis agus a Leacht Chuimhneacháin don Ghorta Mór, ach ní hé sin ach cuid dó.

Eddie's repertoire stretched far beyond his bronze masterpieces of Wolfe Tone, Thomas Davis and the Famine Memorial. He was also accomplished in other art forms. He designed one of the more popular stamps for the 50 year commemoration of the 1916 Rising and his works also appeared on the covers of the Chieftain's early albums, which were recorded by his friend Garech de Brún's Claddagh Records. In these, much as in his sculptures, Eddie broke with tradition to create exciting approaches to art, that were new and expressive but which also reconnected with the imagery of Ireland's Celtic past. The 60s was a period of growing national self-confidence and it is evident that Eddie's approach to art, coupled with his personal self-assurance, chimed with the Ireland of the time and captured the public imagination.

Rugadh i Mí Lúnasa na bliana 1930 é i gClár Chlainne Mhuiris, Co. Mhaigh Eo. Tugtar íomhá rómánsúil dúinn i leabhair Eamon den saol óg a chaith Eddie agus é ag dul in aois i gCrois Bhaoithín lena athair ag obair ar eastáit an Lord Oranmore and Browne. Le linn an ama seo nochtaíodh a shuim i gcúrsaí ealaíona. Tar éis dó an scoil a fhágaint agus é 14 bliana d’aois chuir sé isteach ar an Acadamh Ibeirneach Ríoga go bhfeicfeadh sé an dtiocfadh leis áit a fháil sa Choláiste Ealaíne Náisiúnta.

The young Eddie Delaney was clearly a man of determination and was resourceful and inventive in pursuing what he wanted. Despite not securing a place in the National College of Art, he attended classes anyway and quickly came to the attention of staff and his fellow students. This unorthodox approach to college education continued right up to graduation and he had managed to immerse himself so completely in the fabric of college life that he even become President of the Student's Council during his time there.

His determination and natural inquisitiveness also led him beyond the scope of what the National College of Art could teach. He researched the West African art of lost-wax casting in bronze and was taken with the expressive possibilities that lay beyond the limited Victorian realism on offer by the College of the time. Eddie's attendance at the 1956 unveiling in St Stephen's Green of German sculptor Joseph Wakerle's "Three Fates", a work presented to Ireland for its assistance to the German people after the war, led to him receiving a scholarship to Bavaria. Eddie's horizons were expanding beyond what the Ireland of the fifties could offer.

Lonnaigh sé é féin san Eoraip ar feadh tréimhse seacht mbliain ag déanamh máistreacht ar a cheird faoi stiúr an Chomhaltacht Dealbhóireachta, bronnta air ón Ghearmáin Thiar, Gradam Dealbhóireachta do Mhic Léinn Eachtrannacha ó Stáit na Baváire agus Scoláireacht ó Rialtas na hIodáile don dealbhóireacht.

Agus ní féidir a rá nach iontach an liosta éachtaí a bhain sé amach ina dhiaidh sin. Faoi dhó a rinne sé ionadaíocht d’Éirinn ag Biennale Pháras, sa bhliain 1959 agus arís sa bhliain 1961. Rinne sé ionadaíocht d’Éirinn freisin ag an Aonach Domhanda i Nua Eabhrac i 1965. Níos gaire don bhaile, bronnadh duaiseanna Dealbhóireachta Chomhairle Ealaíon na hÉireann air i 1962 agus i 1964.

Ach ní h-aon íontas an méid sin. Thar tréimhse de bhlianta, thug saothair íontacha Edward deis dúinn machnamh a dhéanamh ar an bpróiseas cruthaitheach; ar an mbealach inar oibrigh an t-ealaíontóir den scoth seo, b’fhéidir an duine is fearr sa réimse sin, chun brí a bhaint as a thimpeallacht, as a shochaí agus as an comhthéacs polaitiúil ina raibh sé.

Scríobh an léirmheastóir Peter Murray san Irish Arts Review in 2004:

“through his art and his personal life, Delaney established himself as a rebellious spirit, and yet, paradoxically, for many years he was championed by the cultural and political establishment, a paradox in keeping with the self-assertiveness of the 1960s,".

Ina sraith dar teideal "Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks", dúirt Roisín Kennedy, agus í ag scríobh san Irish Times faoi na saothair aitheantais Wolfe Tone agus Tomás Dáibhis

"Both Davis and Tone reveal Delaney’s difficulty in reconciling his modernist practice and his perception of history with the classical conventions of commemorative statuary."

Cuireann sí lena cuid cainte, áfach, leis an méid seo:

"But Delaney’s vision of Tone, like him or not, provides a fitting monument to this perplexing figure – and the equally perplexing nation for which it was made".

And it is clear that someone did not like Delaney's vision of Tone because in 1971 they blew it up, only for Eddie to be engaged once more to repair the Sculpture - and to get some pleasure, no doubt, from being paid twice for the same work.

Ba chóir tuiscint ceart a bheith againn ar an tábhacht atá le saibhreas na n-ealaíon agus an chultúir in Éirinn a chur ar taispeáint. Mar náisiún, is iomaí cúis bhróid atá againn; ár scríbhneoirí, damhsóirí, ceoltóirí, lucht déanta scannán, péintéirí, dealbhadóirí, aisteoirí agus cuid mhór ealaíontóirí eile a leanann orthu ag taispeáint an chruthaitheacht atá mar chuid lárnach den Ghaelachas. Trína gcuid oibre, déanann ealaíontóirí iniúchadh ar a dtimpeallacht, ar cheisteanna atá tábhachtach dóibh agus cuireann siad a smaointeoireacht in iúl dúinn ina saothair.

Ar ndóigh, cuireann na hamharc-ealaíona iontas orainn i gcónaí. Agus nach sampla den chéad scoth atá anseo againn. Leis an saothar seo léirítear scileanna agus fís Eddie Delaney. Píosa fíor-álainn amach is amach é Scáileanna na mBád, atá déanta de chruach agus a chuireann i gcuimhne báid thraidisiúnta Chonamara. Is ceiliúradh é ar an ealaíontóir agus ar an bhfear faoi leith a bhí in Eddie.

Mar a dúirt mé, is iontach an beart é ag an gclann an saothar seo a dheonadh don phobal ionas go bhféadfaidh i bhfad níos mó daoine, idir mhuintir na háite agus thurasóirí araon, taitneamh a bhaint as.

It is such a pity that Eddie's Sculpture Park no longer exists but isn't this a most inspired setting for his final piece, with a backdrop of Cuan an Fhir Mhóir, where light and shadow dance to the ever changing music of the Atlantic. It is a credit to Eddie's family, to the local community and to Galway County Council for coming together to realise this project.

Anseo i gConamara, beidh na dealbha seo ina n-oidhreacht iontach agus ina meabhrúchán íocónach ar dhuine de na pearsana is mó le rá ón gceantar. Mar a dúirt an léirmheastóir Anthony Butler, agus é ag cur síos ar shaothar Edward: “Place these small sculptures on some Atlantic headland, letting the wind whistle through their complex spaces and cupping the rain on their raw texture, and they would be as natural as the limestone cliffs of Aran.”

Nuair a iarradh ar Eddie píosa ealaíne a shainmhíniú, dúirt sé: “No one should ask what a work of art is.” Paradacsúil, teibí, ach ábhartha i gcónaí. Mairfidh obair agus oidhreacht Edward Delaney i bhfad i ndiaidh d’aimsir gharbh an Atlantaigh a rian a fhágáil ar an saothar seo.

Go raibh maith agaibh uile.

Críoch.