Walking Tour St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin with Evan Connon

Event Information

The stained glass windows of St Kevin’s church in Harrington Street Dublin are unique in the fact that they track the history of Earley and Company from (1861–1975) to the present day. The firm was one of the largest and most prestigious ecclesiastical decorators both in Ireland and the U.K

Starting with windows by Hardman Company, Thomas Earley a glass painter under Pugin can be seen. When Thomas formed the Earley and Powell company in 1864 on nearby Camden street more windows were added. In 1903 the largest grisaille stained glass window in Ireland was installed. Since then generations of the Earley family have been involved in the maintenance and design of windows for the church, culminating in William Earley creating a window for the south transept. Evan Connon, an apprentice of Willie Earley, will bring insights and history to this guided walk through history, from the early days of Hardman company to his own current practice and extensive restoration of these historic windows. The walk will end in the old premises of the Earley company on 1 Camden street which has been converted to Witherspoon’s pub, where the original circular window remains.

Biography

Evan Connon comes from a long line of stained-glass craftsmen stretching over three centuries. His paternal grandfather Charles Connon (1900 – 1939) worked for Joshua Clarke at the Harry Clarke Studios as a master glass painter and designer. As a teenager Evan was immersed in the stained glass tradition and served a six-year apprenticeship with William Earley of the Earley Studios Dublin. In 2004, he set up Connon Glass studio in Dublin, designing and manufacturing both private and public stained-glass windows., Their extensive portfolio of stained-glass work in many churches throughout Ireland, includes contemporary windows and large restoration projects. These include: St Patrick’s cathedral Dublin, Mary's Cathedral in Limerick, Christchurch Cathedral and University Church in Dublin. An extensive restoration of St Kevin’s church in Harrington street Dublin was undertaken by the studios in 2013. The works comprised the removal of five windows to facilitate repairs to the window reveals and stone tracery.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin, Harrington Street, Dublin 8, Ireland