Conor Rafferty Art- drawings in ink and pencil.

Brian Boru.

What a great sounding name! When I completed my drawing of the Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh someone mentioned to me that Brian Boru was buried there. I decided to investigate. There is in fact a plaque on the wall of the cathedral which reads: Near this spot “on the north side of the great church” was laid the body of Brian Boroimhe, slain at Clontarf. A.D. MX1V. Also in the grounds of the cathedral is a sculpture of Brian by Irish sculptor Rory Breslin.

Brian was born in County Clare in c.941. At that time there were a lot of kings in Ireland. After many battles with his local rivals and the Norsemen he became High King of Ireland in 1002.

 In 1005, seeking the support of the church, Brian placed 20 ounces of gold on the altar of the church in Armagh and declared that Armagh was the religious capital of Ireland. A short text in Latin was inserted in the Book of Armagh declaring Brian “Imperator Scotorum”-  Emperor of the Irish.

On Good Friday 1014 Brian defeated the Norse and their allies at the Battle of Clontarf near Dublin. Although he won the battle Brian himself was slain while saying his prayers in his tent near the battlefield. His body was taken by procession to Armagh where he was buried.

Another plaque at the cathedral has an image of the Brian Boru Harp. It is sometimes referred to as the O`Neill Harp and  depicts the O`Neill coat of arms. A lot of legends surround the history of this harp and Brian Boru in general. Some even say Brian was an ancestor of the late Queen Elizabeth II (and presumably also King Charles III). Perhaps this explains how Queen Elizabeth was able to speak in Irish when visiting Ireland some years ago. Some even say he was also an ancestor of Kate Middleton, now Princess of Wales. It has been said the harp was gifted to the pope by Brian`s son in 1064. Apparently however it is not that old and dates from the fourteenth or fifteenth century. It was presented to Trinity College Dublin in 1782 and is kept in the Long Room there, having been stolen and then retrieved in 1969.

The Brian Boru harp was adopted as a symbol by Guinness and registered as a trademark in 1876. The Guinness harp depicts the straight side of the harp on the left. It has also been adopted by the Irish Republic as an official national emblem which depicts the straight side of the harp on the right. If you have an Irish passport you can check out the harp depicted on the front cover. You can also see this design on some Irish coins.  Better still, why not check out the harp on a bottle of Guinness or even the harp on a bottle of Harp.

Hill of the O`Neill

Just completed a drawing in ink of the Hill of the O`Neill in Dungannon, County Tyrone. This is a drawing of the ruins on the top of the hill. Sometimes referred to as “O’Neill’s Castle.” Hugh O`Neill never actually lived in this building. These are the remains of a nineteenth century “Gentleman`s Residence”. Many buildings have come and gone on this strategic hilltop and O’Neill’s Castle is one of them.

Hugh was making a name for himself in sixteenth century Ireland. In fact he had various names-Baron Dungannon, Earl of Tyrone and The O`Neill. He was busy making life difficult for Queen Elizabeth and her armies during the Nine Years War. He eventually surrendered in 1603.  Apparently he wasn’t aware that Elizabeth had died some days beforehand. He left Ireland in 1607 not to return-the Flight of the Earls. The rest is history.

The hill has now been transformed into a public park. It has commanding views of the surrounding countryside. The hill and the town have undergone plenty of changes in my time. If the ghost of The O`Neill was to return and stand astride the hill, surveying the scene, I wander what he would think of the changes to Dungannon and Tyrone

After drawing a townscape of Dungannon I have completed an Armagh cityscape. Armagh is a small city. Some would call it a wee city. But it is crammed full of buildings of architectural note. How do you fit them all in? Two cathedrals, several churches and a Franciscan friary, the Mall with its Georgian buildings, a Cardinal’s palace, a few museums and libraries and more. Managed to fit most of them in. Happy had room for a hint of the statue by Rory Breslin of the little girl on the Mall in memory of the rail disaster 1889.

Saint Patrick's Church Dungannon

Just completed a pencil drawing of Saint Patrick’s Church Dungannon. It’s 15’’ x11'' on 300gsm watercolour paper.

I grew up 100 yards from the chapel. Sometimes we still managed to be late for Sunday mass. If the second bell went you knew you were late. And probably standing room only. Changed times! I even did a stint as an alter boy. No girl alter servers in those days. It’s very nice inside. There were 4 aisles - one for men, one for women and one each for boys and girls. The local nuns had there own pews at the front.

The church was designed by J.J.McCarthy a well known architect of the time who designed several cathedrals and churches in Ireland. The church was dedicated on Trinity Sunday 11th June 1876. The spire was not built at that stage. Work commenced on it in 1879 and completed in 1883.

Over the years this church has been witness to many events. The Irish for church is teach an phobail, house of the people. It has been a focal point for the local people through many generations closely linked with and a witness to the important events and milestones that occur in there journey through life.

"What are you going to do about it Mr Johnston?"

"That`s a very good question Laura."

Yes. You can ask this man anything. Like-"Who is your barber?" Nothing fazes him. Is his nose a little bit crooked? Surely not a Pinocchio nose. I wander what Monsieur Macron thinks.