James McKenna, Irish Sculptor June 1933 - October 2000

A Tribute The GM Hopkins Society

James McKenna,Sculptor, The G.M.Hopkins Monument Drama, Poetry, Song, Art The Wreck of the Deutchland James McKenna: A Culture Policy James McKenna: Vote No.1, McKenna, McKenna, Your Culture Candidate, The Scatterin', world's first Rock musical McKenna at The Hopkins Summer School James McKenna, renaissance man The Five Lamps,bronze, 1966 Men Entering a City, bronze, 1965 Oisín Caught in the Time Warp

James McKenna, Self-portrait,1998, limestone,, 34x 28 cm National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland

James McKenna Sculptor Poet Dramatist Friend 1933 - 2000 The GM Hopkins Society

Detail from McKenna's poster for the GM Hopkins Summer School (1990) 'notoriously unworldly, he ploughed any money he made back into his work, surviving for long periods on a diet of bread and jam.' Irish Times, October 14, 2000. 1996 O'Connor Cup James was awarded the O'Connor Cup to a stnading ovation in 1996 O'Connor Cup details 'James McKenna was a genuine Renaissance man. A highly regarded sculptor, he was also a noted playwright, poet and occasional polemicist.'. . . James McKenna, drawing by W. Fockersperger,Germany,1999.

1987 The Hopkins Monument - James McKenna 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 monument to Monasterevin's poet. The splendid monument, depicting the poet, GM Hopkins, and Mrs. Cassidy, who welcomed him to Monasterevin, also include 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,Tthe Hopkins Garden (opened 2000) leads down to the river Barrow, 'burling, brown.'   1986 -2000 James McKenna exhibited at the GM Hopkins Summer School As well as participating enthusiastically in Poetry Readings, Lectures, Discussion during the Summer School, James exhibited his work almost every year, including his last exhibition inJuly 2000. ' '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.' - D. Egan, poet 'McKenna likes to leave a great deal to the imagination, to set it working by understatement , rather than by overstatement.' Brian Fallon, Art Critic, The Irish Times, 1985 ' 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 De go raibh a anam dhilis' Patrick Murphy,Chairman,The Arts Council. 'The Scatterin', a musical play by McKenna which was to be a theatrical landmark, and, arguably, the world's first rock musical' - John Ryan, Remembering how we Stood' 1975 'the world's first rock musical'   HOPKINS 2000 exhibited OISIN Caught in aTtime Warp - a 16 foot high Oisin on horseback, sculpted out of pine planks dowelled together: an immense undertaking which occupied James for much of five years. '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. James McKenna: Oisin Caught in a Time Warp, highlight of HOPKINS 2000( photo.Guarier,France)