Gerard Manley Hopkins International Literary Festival

since 1987

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Tribute to Irish Stone Sculptor, James McKenna

James McKenna, drawing by W. Fockersperger, Germany, 1999

James McKenna (1933 - 2000) - one of the most talented artist of his generation The Hopkins Society were honoured to have had James McKenna in their midst until his untimely death in 2000. His last Exhibition that Summer, may well have been his most amazing, most nourishing. Let's see what others had to say. James McKenna was one of the most talented artists of his generation. Truly a renaissance man with a multiplicity of talents in sculpture, drawing, poetry, drama, music and languages, I had the honour of opening James's last exhibition at the Gerard Manley Hopkins Summer School in July. I will miss him as an artist and a friend. Ar dheis Dé; go raibh a anam dhílis' Patrick Murphy, Chairman,The Arts Council.

'McKenna likes to leave a great deal to the imagination, to set it working by understatement, rather than by overstatement.' Brian Fallon, Irish Times Art Critic, 1985

James, the idealist

''notoriously unworldly, he ploughed any money he made back into his work, surviving for long periods on a diet of bread and jam.'
The Irish Times, October 14, 2000.

James McKenna, Man of Compassion

McKenna continued to explore his theme of men victimised not through their own fault but by the uncaring world in which they lived. Each piece of sculpture is beautifully carved or chiselled, with loving attention. His figures have life in them;
the faces, however, come as a surprise like the actors in his plays. They wear masks; frozen in their aloneness; poignant; serious; essentially tragic. Such is the McKenna perception.'
Desmond Egan: James McKenna, A Celebration (2001).

'This has been our best year yet. The McKenna exhibition is a major highlight.
He is our finest sculptor and his giant wooden horse sculpture will stun visitors.'

Richard O'Rourke, Chairman in 2000, James's last Exhibition inlcuded his monumental, Oisin Caught in a Time-Warp.

The Gerard Manley Hopkins Monument
(1990)

James McKenna was involved with the Gerard Manley Hopkins Summer School from early days. Thanks to generous sponsors, the Society were able to commission James to create a splendid monument to Hopkins, an English poet who described Monasterevin as 'one ofthe struts and props' of his existence.

The splendid monument, depicting depicting two figures also includes a lectern, used each year during the Hopkins International Summer School. The monument is located opposite the Cassidy home, where Hopkins stayed when in Monasterevin.

Behind the Monument, The Hopkins Garden

(Opened 2000) leads down to the River Barrow, 'burling, brown.' (Each year, a tree is planted to remember departed friends of the Summer School. In 2001, a fine oak tree was planted to commemorate James McKenna and in 2004, another commemorates Hugh Kenner's support of the Hopkins Summer School over many years.)

McKenna, Recipient of the 1996 O'Connor Award

James was awarded The O'Connor Award to a standing ovation in 1996

James McKenna was a genuine Renaissance man. A highly regarded
stone sculptor, he was also a noted dramatist, poet and occasional polemicist.
James McKenna A Retrospective The Riverbank Arts Centre

1987 -2000 James McKenna Exhibited at The Gerard Manley Hopkins Summer School and involved himself in the running of the Exhibitions.

 

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Gerard Manley Hopkins International Literary Festival since 1987