Past pupil Sharon Keegan, Former
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, student Katie Murphy, Brendan Kilty and student Rian Byrne
James Joyce seat of learning will inspire future students
FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was the special guest at a Tallaght school as they unveiled their ‘James Joyce Seat of Learning.’
An art installation by philanthropist Brendan Kilty, the Seat was commissioned for St Mark’s Community School by past pupil and entrepreneur Sharon Keegan who had worked with Mr Kilty.
The artwork in St Mark’s is one of many Mr Kilty established internationally to celebrate Joyce’s work and Irish culture, using the bricks he rescued when Joyce’s home was demolished in 1998.
On Wednesday, the artwork was unveiled celebrating the meeting between “the creative journey of students” and “the rich legacy of Joyce’s work.”
Principal Ian Boran opened the celebration, followed by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who spoke of the importance of planting the seed of creativity and a love of culture in young people.
Students Katie Murphy and Riann Byrne unveiled it with Taoiseach Ahern and Mr Kilty as they were part of the team who designed and created the Seat.
Over the past few months, students in the school have explored Joyce’s life and work and have been inspired to produce drama, music and artwork of their own, explained the school staff.
Many of them performed at the unveiling alongside guest artists who sang and recited poetry and excerpts from Joyce’s work. Transition Year students enacted scenes from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, followed by sixth-year student and violin soloist Sorina Fabian playing Habanera from Carmen and accompanied by a ballroom routine.
Student Tommy Wall sang The Lass of Aughrim and Ava Walsh performed a monologue from Evelyn.
The five winners of the school’s poetry competition Poetry Aloud recited their poems.
The seat features quotes from Joyce’s work and a river motif running across it representing the author’s famous ‘stream of consciousness.’
According to the school, St Mark’s tradition in particular is encapsulated in the quote ‘They lived and laughed and loved and left’ from Joyce’s novel Finnegans Wake. St Mark’s are hopeful that the Seat will “inspire the students and teachers for generations to come.”
