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Hellelil and Hildebrand, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton National Gallery of Ireland

Ireland's Favourite Painting is announced... and it's a romantic one

Hellelil and Hildebrand, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton is named Ireland’s favourite painting in RTÉ show of Irish gallery masterpieces.

THE FAVOURITE OF old Irish romantics everywhere, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs, has been named Ireland’s favourite painting.

A public vote promoted by RTÉ’s competition to find the nation’s favourite painting over the past five weeks found that the Frederic William Burton piece, which hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland, polled most preferences. One in five of those who voted (22 per cent) went for the romantic 19th century depiction of a young soldier stealing an illicit kiss from his beloved as they pass on a turret stair. Burton was from Corofin, Co Clare.

Speaking on RTÉ’s arts programme The Works last night, President Michael D Higgins said he thought the painting to be “a very considerable and beautiful painting”. He said:

I remember the editorial in the Irish Independent of the day, written by William Martin Murphy, who said that the (National) gallery would never be a jot of value to the common people of Dublin. And thankfully he was wrong. Art is about the foundations of citizenship and creativity and what we all own together and the celebration that should be available to every citizen now and into the future.

The National Gallery said that it had recorded increased visitor figures since the competition began with footfall up by about 20,000 visitors on the same period in 2011. Sales of merchandise relating to all the shortlisted paintings had “doubled” and sales of merchandise relating to the winning painting had increased fourfold on the same period in 2011.

Sharon Corr, who had been one of the celebrity spokespersons on the RTÉ campaign – and who had picked the Meeting on the Turret Stairs as her favourite painting – had recalled how she had seen it on her first date with her now husband Gavin Bonnar. She said:

We’d literally just met the night before in the Gaiety at some salsa club and we were walking up Baggot Street the next day and he said where will we go and I said let’s go to the National Gallery because I’d never been there before. We did and it was so special and we’ve brought our kids back as well, like an anniversary. I’m terribly romantic, I really am a sucker for it all.

Read: The 10 celebs championing ‘Ireland’s Favourite Paintings’>

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    Mute david whelan
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    May 24th 2012, 11:13 PM

    Always loved this painting. Has a special meaning for me. I believe the vote reflects the deeply romantic nature of the Irish.

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    Mute Richard Crompton
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    May 24th 2012, 11:32 PM

    What a tart you sound!

    71
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    Mute david whelan
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    May 24th 2012, 11:37 PM

    Wow Richard, what a wonderful contribution.

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    Mute Popcorn
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    May 25th 2012, 9:40 AM

    That painting should be renamed. “Does my arse look big in this” would be more appropriate.

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    Mute Carmel Darcy
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    May 24th 2012, 11:30 PM

    I’m so delighted that this painting won the nations favourite! I have always loved it! A truly stunning piece.

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    Mute Irish Mule
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    May 24th 2012, 11:39 PM

    what an amazing piece, it really encapsulates such a romantic moment.

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    Mute Dave O'Shea
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    May 24th 2012, 11:51 PM

    Overrated , like guggi, friends to the stars

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    Mute alan
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    May 25th 2012, 12:09 AM

    ‘Sales of merchandise relating to all the shortlisted paintings had “doubled” and sales of merchandise relating to the winning painting had increased fourfold on the same period in 2011.’

    That’s great news. Exit through the gift shop.

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    Mute Lynne Tunney
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    May 25th 2012, 7:48 AM

    “Exit through the gift shop” wasn’t that Banksy though???

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    Mute Seamus Ryan
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    May 25th 2012, 9:18 PM

    @Lynne: It was indeed a movie about Banksy’s work. Also a well-known phrase associated with museums and galleries that has been used on signs long before Banksy was learning about finger-painting in primary school.

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    Mute Adam Magari
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    May 24th 2012, 11:24 PM

    What an unimaginative choice.

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    Mute david whelan
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    May 24th 2012, 11:28 PM

    Adam sometimes you need to see beyond the obvious to see the true beauty of a work of art – beauty is truth and truth beauty.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 24th 2012, 11:41 PM

    Adam maybe you should find a bit of imagination.

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    Mute Heywood Jablome
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    May 25th 2012, 2:28 PM

    Should be renamed “Girl pukes in the corner while her fella wipes his nose on her sleeve”

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    Mute Marko Burns
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    May 24th 2012, 11:48 PM

    Yawn. Sentimental biscuit tin art with nothing to say. More an illustration than a painting.

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    Mute david whelan
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    May 24th 2012, 11:55 PM

    Marko you could not be more wrong. Sometimes you have to open your heart as well as you eyes to see the true beauty in a painting.

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    Mute KhublaMcCann
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    May 25th 2012, 12:06 PM

    Marko’s right, this is turgid overly sentimental chocolate box schmaltz that seeks to ape the very derivative Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood of our erstwhile colonial ‘betters’. Bourgeois bourgeois boosh-wah

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    Mute Dave O'Shea
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    May 24th 2012, 11:50 PM

    It’s a pity the format wasn’t more professional, they dragged it out so much so that people were forgetting what artworks were on the week before, coud have done it over a fortnight , made it more exciting but any advertisement for art is good….. Worthy winner and unless you have seen it ya really can’t comment.

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    Mute Katherine Carroll Callow
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    May 25th 2012, 12:13 AM

    A stunning piece capturing a truly romantic stolen moment..worthy winner!

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    Mute Sheep
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    May 25th 2012, 12:14 AM

    No pictures of sheep. Blah….

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    Mute John Conniffe
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    May 25th 2012, 12:41 AM

    Boarding for Transcentral….

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    Mute Debi-Nikita Rathbone-Rentzke
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    May 25th 2012, 1:03 AM

    I love this painting, it tells a story.. And we all know that the Irish are great story tellers.

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    Mute JibberIrish
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    May 25th 2012, 12:04 AM

    The essence of all beautiful art, and all great art, is gratitude. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

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    Mute Lynne Tunney
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    May 25th 2012, 7:51 AM

    I’m really pleased that Ireland’s Favourite Painting is actually an Irish painting

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    Mute Deirdre Bennett
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    May 25th 2012, 8:50 AM

    If a painting, drawing, illustration or sculpture (all art forms) can stir an emotion then it is meeting it’s intended purpose. It is a very beautiful painting, pure romanticism.

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    Mute Debi-Nikita Rathbone-Rentzke
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    May 25th 2012, 9:25 AM

    Well said Deirdre.. :-)

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    Mute Sandra Cox
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    May 25th 2012, 12:34 AM

    I saw this painting in a restaurant in Corofin Co Clare and fell in love with it no surprise it won the vote

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    Mute Adrian Nolan
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    May 25th 2012, 1:24 AM

    Whats that big thing sticking out by his left elbow?

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    Mute e
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    May 25th 2012, 2:35 AM

    His helmit.

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    Mute Dexter Gordon
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    May 25th 2012, 8:12 AM

    His what?

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    Mute Adrian Nolan
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    May 25th 2012, 9:55 AM

    His Helmet???? It seems our Pepe Le Pew must really like kissing ladies arms!

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    Mute Roddie Cleere
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    May 25th 2012, 8:32 AM

    You can sense their yearning. Good winner

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    Mute Dhakina's Sword
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    May 25th 2012, 10:06 AM

    You could easily glance at this painting and not notice its subtle beauty. It’s not beautiful in the obvious pretty sense. Its charm is deeper. The contrast of the soldier trained to fight, displaying the opposite emotion of love, while dressed for battle, is powerful. The object of his attention coyly goes past him, but still allows the soldier to steal a brief moment together. You could be cynical and say it’s corny, but I think it sends out amongst other ideas, that love is the most powerful force in the world.

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    Mute Deirdre Bennett
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    May 25th 2012, 12:58 PM

    @Dhakina….that was eloquently put :)

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    Mute Sandra Cox
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    May 25th 2012, 12:37 AM

    I live in Corofin and saw this painting in a Restaurant there. Fell in love with it no surprise it won the vote I didn’t realise the painter is from Corofin too!

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    Mute John F
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    May 25th 2012, 8:14 AM

    Ah this Takes me back, Was printed on the front cover of the Junior Cert English book in the 90′s , Reflections was the name of the book I think! :-)

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    Mute Michael Stamp
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    May 25th 2012, 10:08 AM

    Delighted it won. It hangs in repro in the Registry Office and thousands of people (myself included) have made their vows underneath it. Suprised it won as well. . .Expected something more ‘modern’ to appeal to our art-loving people.

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    Mute Anastasia Ryan
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    May 25th 2012, 9:49 AM

    This might help people who are finding it hard to see the romance in the painting:

    http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/people/meeting_of_turret_stairs.htm

    It has a part of the Danish poem the painting is based on. I’ve loved this picture forever and always will :)

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    Mute Ally Sommer
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    May 25th 2012, 12:22 PM

    A beautiful piece of art – delighted it won.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    May 26th 2012, 2:29 PM

    Check out the story on which the painting is based…it’s fascinating.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    May 26th 2012, 2:32 PM
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    Mute Alastair Langwell
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    May 26th 2012, 8:11 PM

    Weird – a print of this painting is on my bedroom wall. Seriously.

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    Mute Dermot Mulqueen
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    May 26th 2012, 9:37 AM

    My painting ‘Mother and Child’ should have been considered.

    If it had been short-listed, it might have won it ?.

    When it comes to Culture,and Art, it is all about being afforded the platform, and the endorsements.

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    Mute Lewis Kelly
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    May 25th 2012, 3:15 PM

    Ride on. See you. I could never go with you, No matter how I wanted to.

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    Mute Andrew Clavin
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    May 25th 2012, 3:53 PM

    now that it has won it will be representing us at the next eurovision right?

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