Come Here To Me!

On April 12th 1956, two Irish students stole one of the 39 contested Hugh Lane paintings from the prestigious Tate Gallery in London.

Dubliner Paul Hogan (25), studying at the Dublin College of Art, and his companion Bill Fogarty, a veterinary student from Galway, took the Jour D’Ete (Summer’s Day) by Berthe Morisot and kept it for four days. The painting was worth £10,000, now about £7 million.

Jour D’Ete (Summer’s Day) by Berthe Morisot (Credit – bildindex.de)

The action was taken to highlight the popular feeling that Lane’s paintings should have been on display in Dublin and not London. Hugh Lane, a successful art dealer, had originally bequeathed his collection of modern paintings to Ireland but he then made a second will and left everything to London’s Tate Gallery. However, Lane, shortly before he died in a shipwreck in 1915, wrote yet another will leaving everything to a gallery in Dublin. Because no one witnessed this will, the English courts refused to recognise it as a legal document. For the following decades, there were various unsuccessful attempts by those in the Arts  community and in the government in Ireland to claim the paintings back.

After reading an article about the situation in 1959, Hogan and pal Fogarty started talking:

“I told my friend Bill Fogarty about it and he said why didn’t someone do something about it? By the end of the evening it was, why don’t WE do something? (The) idea was simple – a Dublin man should go and claim it because the collection should have been in Dublin (1)

Hogan recalls the action:

The approach we adopted was the most obvious one, the theory that normal behavior attracts no attention. I was an art student and I had a portfolio and I had established certain rights in the gallery but I had been working there for some days and I was a familiar figure so I was allowed to move through the gallery and extraordinarily out of the gallery with this valuable painting. (2)

While Fogarty pretended to make a copy of the painting on a sketchpad, Hogan lifted it off the wall and put it inside the large portfolio he had brought with him for that purpose. They worked quickly and it only took a moment to hide the painting.

I was to run out the front door with it where a photographer was waiting to take a picture. I thought I would probably then be overpowered. We hoped we would get a modest amount of publicity and force the authorities to do something. We thought we might spend a few days in jail but that would be it.

Paul Hogan leaving the Tate Gallery with the painting under his arm. (Credit – jazyky.smp.cz)

The statement made via the Irish National Student Council (INSC) was headline news:

The authority for this action is the codicil to the will of Hugh Lane, dated 1915, bequeathing the 39 treasures to the City of Dublin. This action has been taken in the Irish National Interest.

(In October of the previous year, members of the INSC had occupied Nelson’s Pillar. Dropping a banner of Kevin Barry over the edge, they tried to melt Nelson’s statue with homemade “flame throwers”.)

The Irish Press front page. Apr 13, 1956.

They hid the painting in the flat of an Irish female friend in London and four days days later, a companion of the duo handed the painting in to the Irish embassy. “We didn’t want to keep it. The whole point of the robbery was to get people talking about the situation.” remembers Hogan

By 1959, just three years after the raid, agreement was reached between Ireland and the UK that the paintings would be shared. In 1979, London ceded many more (on long-term loan), and in 1993, the Hugh Lane Director, Barbara Dawson negotiated a ‘rotating arrangement’ for the major Impressionist painting. Jour D’Ete  finally returned to Dublin in 1999 along with the 38 other pieces.

Hogan in later life was employed by Ireland’s Export Promotions Board, Coras Trachtala Teo.

Fogarty passed away in 2002. This spurred on Hogan to tell the full story story of their dramatic escapade to RTE Radio. A 26mins documentary, ‘Coup De Tate‘, was made by RTE television in 2003.

He has no regrets:

The whole point of the thing was to kick start negotiations. Because of what we did talks had to start and a settlement resulted.  It is the reason that some of the most famous paintings in the world now hang in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin

—

(1) The People, 15 December 2002

(2) Paul Hogan, RTE Radio archive, John Bowman show, April, 2008.

While recently a man diving from the edge of space down to earth captivated millions worldwide, in more simple times it didn’t take quite as much. Back in April 1848, Dublin was enthralled by the sight of balloonist John Hampton, who carried out an ascension and parachute jump from the Rotunda Gardens.

Advertisement for the jump, from the U.S Library of Congress Digital Collection.

A fascinating character, Englishmen John Hampton holds the honour of being the first man to make a parachute descent, having done so in October 1838 at Cheltenham in England. In the promotional material for his Dublin jump in 1848 it was noted that “this daring experiment was accomplished by himself, no one being with him in the car of the balloon, and the separation took place at the altitude of 10,000 feet.”

Hampton had ascended over Ireland in a balloon before, but there was huge public interest in this event which would see him also carry out a parachute descent. The balloon he would leap from was the ‘Erin Go Bragh’, which promoters noted was the first such balloon ever made in Ireland.

Details of the balloon from promotional material. Via the U.S Library of Congress Digital Collection.

In the archives of the Freeman’s Journal, I could find reference to a balloon in October 1844, when a subscription was launched to present Hampton with a balloon from the “Citizens of Dublin”. Maurice O’Connell had chaired the meeting which launched this subscription, a son of ‘The Liberator’ Daniel O’Connell. The reasoning for this incredible act of charity towards Hampton was that a previous ascent over Dublin had ended in his balloon igniting and exploding over Dublin owing to a fire in a northside chimney! He had escaped fine and unharmed, as detailed in F.E Dillon’s 1955 article ‘Ballooning in Dublin’ for the Old Dublin Society journal Dublin Historical Record.

In the centre of the balloons belt was emblazoned the national emblem, under the well known motto of ‘gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked’. The figure of Hibernia was shown on the balloon, as was the Dublin coat of arms, an Irish round tour and other Irish imagery. Incredibly, promotional advertising for the event would note that:”The balloon is capable of ascending with six persons, any lady or gentleman desirous of ascending with Mr.Hampton may ascertain the terms on applying to him at the Rotundo.” Newspaper reports at the time noted this to be the first parachute descent in Dublin. Hampton would ultimately land at the gasworks in Ringsend, and Hampton was joined by his wife and another lady. Hampton had feared a wet landing, and had offered a financial reward to the first boat to arrive to his aid in such a scenario. When he landed at the gasworks, he was quickly surrounded by Dubliners seeking money, despite still being on land!

Today, a plaque in Cheltenham marks the incredible historic moment when Hampton became the first man to successfully parachute to the ground. His descent on that occasion lasted twelve minutes and forty seconds.

The plaque in Cheltenham today (Credit toFlickr user getgood)

Following on from the posts looking at atheists and agnostics and foreign nationals in the 1911 census, I’ve found a number of unusual religions in Dublin in 1911:

Percy Oswald Reeves (40), a “Follower of the Buddha”, a single lodger from England living at 25.2 Kenilworth Square, Dublin 6. Reeves worked as a “Artist Craftsman and Teacher, Enamelling and Metal Work”.

Charles Peterson (60), a pipe maker from Riga, Lativa, living at 114 Leinster Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6. He listed his religion as “Free Thinker” as did brother and fellow pipe maker John (45) and another relation and scholar Conrad (21). Petersons, who sell pipes, tobacco and cigars, are still in business to this day.

Charles Peterson, looking well. Credit – http://www.peterson.ie

Coonoor Kinshnaswamy (22), a married “Hindu” from India working as a “Nurse to Small Boy” for the Watson family at 16.2 Sandycove Avenue, County Dublin.

Julius Shillman (53) a “Traveler” from Russia, his “Mid-Wife” wife and six children living at 33 Victoria Street, Portobelllo, Dublin 8. All listed their religion as “Israelite”.

Olive Fox (27) from England and her visitor friend Ella Toring (43) (a.k.a. Ella Young) from Antrim at 14, Dundrum, County Dublin. Both did not list their occupation but put down “Pagan” as their religion.

Olive Fox (27) and friend in Dundrum

Eileen Hawkes (36), a Civil Servant, and her sister Louisa (24), a Musician, living at 35 Chelmsford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. From Limerick, both listed their religion as “Suffragette”.

Robert Foran (50) from Cork, a 2nd Class Assistant Accountant in the Army Account Department, and his wife Kathleen (46) from Armagh who both listed their religion as  “None, a Pantheist“. They were living at 1 Brooklyn Terrace, Dublin 8.

Robert Thomas Hamilton (61), who lived with his wife, daughter, sister in law and servant, at 52 Pembroke Road, Dublin 8. Hamilton put down himself and the household, bar the Catholic servant, as “Simple Believes in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God Who Came in to the World to Save Sinners – Not Attached to any Denomination Meet for Worship with other Christians at Massion Hall, Dublin”. Hamilton was formerly “Head of Teaching (at the) Irish Railway Clearing House”.

Robert Thomas Hamilton (61) and family in Dublin 8

John McDonagh Grant (28), a single boarder from Scotland living at 55 Sydney Parade Avenue, Dublin 4. A “private secretary, manager and journalist”, Grant listed his religion as “Christian certainly but non churchman”.  [Note: Transcription is wrong. See original transcript]

David Houston (57), a college lecturer from Antrim, down as a “Rationalist” living with his son, two servants and a visitor. Living at 13 Haroldsgrange, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.

Ralph Jack Richard Mecredy (22) (More info on him, see here), a medical student from Down, and four other “Buddhists” living at 9 Gilford Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Fellow 22 year old and medical student Francis Clements Crosslee from Down. Elizabeth May Warrington (38) and her daughter Isobel Warrington (17) both born in India. Finally Arthur William Garbutt (22), a journalist from England.

Ralph Jack Richard Mecredy (22) and friends in Sandymount

Four “Samuelite” boarders living at 103 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7. Alexander Leitch (21), a Second Division Clerk in the General Register Office from Scotland; Charles S Lafferty (23), a dentistry student and his brother Henry A (20), a agricultural student from Tyrone and Daniell A McLoughlin (19), a student of medicine from Derry. Anyone know what a Samuelite was/is?

Maria J O’ Connor (50), a widow living off “Private Income” who listed her religion as “Ceased to belong to any”, living at 40 Killiney, County Dublin.

Robert Emmet Coates (48), a Dublin bookseller and his wife Caroline (46) from Armagh living at 7 Butterfield, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Both listed their religion as “Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society“.

I was sent this one earlier on, and I had to smile. ‘Bucko’s Red Army’ by the brilliantly named Joxer and the Skidmarks has been released to coincide with the FAI Cup Final on Sunday, a replay of the 2006 final which Saint Patrick’s Athletic lost 4-3 to Derry City.

Come on you Saints, no time to waste, Revenge for Zero-Six
Go out against the Candystripes and we can get our kicks
Fahey said he’ll be there, I hope it’s not a lie
He’s said he’ll come and bang the drum with the S.E.I.

Some in the crowd on Sunday will remember the boys of ’59 and ’61, who last brought the cup home to Inchicore. They’ll remember Willie Peyton, who last won it for us. They’ll remember the late and great Paddy Ginger O’Rourke. Those of us too young to remember those finals will be hoping for new heroes.

Tickets priced €10 for adults and €5 for children are available now from the Saint Patrick’s Athletic offices in Inchicore, Ticketmaster and on the day at Lansdowne Road.

This brilliant image was posted to the James Connolly Bridge Campaign page by Moira Murphy, and shows the great Edinburgh trade unionist as you’ve never seen him before. If you don’t get the reference, it comes from the character Bane in Batman who urges the citizens of Gotham to “take control” of their city. We like it.

We’re still torn between the James Connolly Bridge and Job Bridge, but we’ll see how it goes.

A recently vandalised Derry cow. (Belfast Telegraph)

A part of me couldn’t help but laugh recently hearing news from Derry, where the CowParade recently rolled into town and was attacked. A Belfast Telegraph reported from October 10th notes that:

Two of the fibreglass animals which form part of the CowParade NI were targeted at the weekend.

The two life-sized sculptures were located in the heart of the city centre at a landscaped park opposite the Guildhall.
The cows were painted by local artists and community groups at the Playhouse Theatre and at Maydown.

They are now being removed so the damage can be assessed, and as a result of the destruction they will be relocated indoors once repaired.

Next year marks a decade since fiberglass cows were placed across the city of Dublin as part of the same project, with many of them vandalised and ultimately moved indoors. Even then, they were targeted in many cases.

‘When Cows Fly’ – one of the vandalised Dublin cows.

CowParade events have been staged in over 75 cities worldwide, including New York, Istanbul and Milan. The project began in 1999, and it describes itself as the “largest and most successful public art event in the world.” The project has raised in excess of thirty million Dollars for charities worldwide, yet it’s 2003 run in Dublin was marred by the destruction of many of the cows, with Dublin becoming the only city at the time where the exhibition had to become an entirely indoors affair.

The CowParade in Dublin attracted a lot of media attention in the run up the public art project launching, with Kevin Sharkey discussing the project on the Late Late Show months before the cows were placed on Dublin’s streets. In an interview prior to the launch of CowParade, the CEO of Bord Fáilte told the Irish Independent that “the challenge is to be different from other cities, to somehow better everything that’s gone before us and really capture that quirky Dublin humour.”

Robert Ballagh, John Rocha, Gavin Friday, Graham Knuttel, Andrea Corr, Ronnie Woods and Felim Egan were just some of the names involved in the project here, and Rocha’s cow would sell for an incredible €125,000, bought by the Wagamamma restaurant in Dublin city centre.

The cows proved an irresistible temptation to Dublin vandals. In an interview with The Irish Times, Gerard Beshoff (director of the CowParade in Dulin) noted that at first only 10 cows were exhibited on the streets, and all 10 were vandalised within days. One cow was decapitated, while another had its wings cut from it. The cow on Liffey Street, which stood outside Pravda, was damaged in such a manner that a saw would have been required. The head of the cow was later discovered outside Cleary’s on O’Connell Street.

‘Moo Chulainn’ displayed on Dawson Street.

Organisers had planned to place 69 of the cows on the streets of Dublin, but the plan was quickly abandoned. Of the 69 which were placed around the capital indoors and outdoors, half were vandalised. They were eventually auctioned in November at the Four Seasons Hotel, before the CowParade moved on to pastures new.

The vandalism of the cows in Dublin sparked discussion both at home and abroad. Dr. Sarah Wagner-McCoy, an assistant professor at Reed College,noted that:

In other cities, the public loved the cows so much that they would defend them if anyone tried to vandalize them, but in Dublin, the cows were smashed, stolen, beheaded and covered in graffiti, even after the exhibit was officially over and the cows were moved to less public places.

Wagner-McCoy’s suggested that this phenomenon went back to the destruction of monuments in Dublin historically, which had been found politically disagreeable by Irish nationalists. Perhaps a better historic precedent was the ‘Bowl of Light’, which had sat on O’Connell Bridge prior to part of it being flung into the river by vandals in 1953.

“It’s so depressing, but not surprising” said Amy Wallace, a CowParade Ireland account executive, to The Irish Times at the time of the pointless vandalism.”The awful thing is, we were kind of expecting it in Dublin.”

‘Tiogar: Celtic Tiger’ – Displayed in the IFSC.