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On display at Newry and Mourne Museum over the summer are three plaster models used in the casting of the Proud People Sculpture or Pillar which stands in Marcus Square in Newry. It was unveiled in December 1994, by the then Minister for the Environment and the Economy, Mr Malcolm Moss. Commissioned to mark the celebration of 850 years of the foundation of Newry, the sculpture formed the centrepiece of a £250,000 Environmental Improvement Scheme funded by the DoE through the Newry Regeneration Project.
The sculptor was chosen following an open competition by the Sculptors Society of Ireland on behalf of Newry Regeneration Trust. Over thirty anonymous submissions were made to a selection panel which included representatives of the then Newry and Mourne District Council, Newry Civic Trust, Newry 850, Newry Regeneration Trust, local businesses and DoE, advised by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Sculptors Society of Ireland.
A Dublin sculptor, Patrick Mc Elroy won the competition. Mc Elroy was born in Inchicore, Dublin in 1923 and, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he originally served his time as a blacksmith with the Great Southern Railway. After World War II, he studied fine art at the National College of Art and later held the post of lecturer in enamelling and fine art metal work. McElroy had wide artistic interests and his varied work included welding, forging, casting, enamelling and reviving ancient techniques such as repousee beaten bronze work. Considered one of the country’s better sculptors, his work can be seen in churches all over Ireland including the Basilicas at Knock and Lough Derg.
In 1953, Patrick McElroy married the Swedish artist Marianne Agren and had three children, Kristina, John and Ingrid. In 1975 McElroy separated from his wife and lived with his partner, Jane Almquist until his death in February 2008.
The name of the sculpture, Proud People, is taken from Dean Swift’s description of Newry in the early 18th century – “High Church, Low Steeply, Dirty Streets, Proud People”. The sculpture comprises a 13ft high bronze relief pillar, in a triangular shape on a base of Mourne granite which depicts scenes, events and the people of the Newry area over the centuries. The three sides are modelled in a style which is evocative of the sculpture on Irish high crosses and metal work of the 7th-10th centuries.
As a subject matter for the reliefs, Mc Elroy was inspired by many aspects of the history of Newry including Celtic legend, the Cistercian monastery, Vikings, the Mourne Mountains and the sea. Local buildings and engineering works are included such as Newry Town Hall, churches, Newry Canal, Craigmore Viaduct and railways. The industrial and commercial life of the town are also depicted as well as sport, the arts and social life. A contemporary feel is given to the sculpture by depictions of buildings like the Buttercrane Shopping Centre.
The sculptor created a song or poem in bronze celebrating people and their achievements throughout the long history of the town of Newry. The inscription on the base of the relief has been rendered in both Irish and English reflecting the traditions of all the people who made up the ‘proud people’. The sculpture was cast by Leo Higgins of CAST Ltd, Dublin.
The three plaster models on display in the Museum reflect the Christian origins of Newry, the cultural history of the area and the people of Newry. Made from clay and Plaster of Paris, these models were the first stage in the creation of the sculpture. McElroy made a model for each of the fifteen panels and seven corner sections of the sculpture, each depicting a period or theme in the history of Newry and its hinterland. These models were then used to make the moulds from which the bronze sections of the sculpture were cast.
The three plaster models were generously donated to Newry and Mourne Museum by Patrick McElroy’s eldest daughter, Kristina, along with a number of preparatory drawings and explanatory photographs. The three models are on display until October 2022.
The Museum is currently offering free tours of the exhibition galleries on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2.00 pm. These must be booked in advance by calling our Education Officer at 0330 137 4422.
Newry and Mourne Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 4.30 pm. Please call 0330 137 4422 or email museum@nmandd.org for further information.
Please visit our website at www.visitmournemountains.co.uk
Article by Ken Abraham and Noelle Murtagh
