Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
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.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Interesting how we can’t comment on the Ryanair article about them bulk buying a housing estate….
@Dave Murray: It’s a good idea though. Those cabin crew won’t be competing against others in the rental market. Saw the Soc Dem guy having a whinge about availability of new homes, but 25 houses is a drop in the ocean of the houses currently being built.
@Roy Kenneally: Good business by ryanair, they’re not the only ones doing this and more will follow.
@Roy Kenneally: I assume you’re not currently looking to buy in Swords.
@Jen McC: are you saying you would have been able to buy in swords if ryanair hadn’t bought housing for staff? Ryanair aren’t the enemy here.
@Martin Mongan: Ryanair should deal with hotels
Dear Journal,
Can you remove the begging pop up from your website. It’s cheap and unprofessional. Is this what you have become. Goodbye and keep up the tripe journalism
Frank Spencer pictured above will sort it out!
A no blame approach to covid enquiry…this government..innocent until proven innocent. What an absolute joke!
The covid 19 inquiry is going to take a no blame approach,where would you see it only Ireland a total fu c k up but none of the boys to blame, first one of blame holohan Codding all the people into taken them mad vaccines that were never tested properly
The management at these ‘universities’ are a self serving bunch.
The ATU in Galway being a prime example.
The admin staff treat the students and lecturers like dirt.
have your say