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Kilkee 30.JPG
c1960 Monkstown 1.jpg
c1960 Monkstown 2.jpg
August 1997.jpeg

MURPHY-DEVITT

STUDIOS

Murphy-Devitt Studios produced a lot of work over nearly sixty years during which they worked under that name between 1958-1978 and as a looser arrangement between 1955 and 2004.

 

Artist John Murphy joined the Harry Clarke Studios c. 1952 and soon married the painter Roísín Dowd whom he had known from their Dublin Art College days. Johnny Murphy had met the Harry Clarke Studios master craftsman John A (Des) Devitt and in 1955 they decided to strike out on their own taking two of their friends from the Harry Clarke Studios with them. Johnny and Des, with Roisin Dowd Murphy, Paddy McLoughlin and Micky Watson, set about doing something entirely new and different in stained glass in Ireland, bringing with them their art training, their modern aesthetic sensibilities, and their deep knowledge of and commitment to their craft. Des Devitt had a couple of years of Art College training but his genius lay in management - he pitched for business, kept the budget under control, delivered work on time and ran the Studio. The early 1960s brought a huge church building boom and the small Murphy-Devitt Studios was extremely busy making windows for Ireland and abroad. Johnny was the main designer, hugely respected by Róisín, Des and anyone he worked with. His was the overall vision for a whole scheme for a church or for a one-off window - this gave Johnny the opportunity to excel at what he did best; to devise an overall vision for a large number of lights, sometimes including clerestory windows and walls of glass, all contained within a contemporary space. Johnny taught stained glass at the National College of Art and routinely invited his best students to work for the Studios in the summer. The first Murphy-Devitt Studios window that we are aware of is in Wah, Pakistan and dates to 1955 - their final window is in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast and dates to almost sixty years later; by then, the Studios had long been dissolved, but Johnny and Róisín continued to work with Des under a loose arrangement covered by ‘J A Devitt and Associates.’ Johnny, Róisín and Des all died in 2006.

www.murphydevittstudios.com

https://roaringwaterjournal.com/2020/01/12/murphy-devitt-in-cork-part-1/

Dr. David Caron’s article “Stained Glass: Book of Revelation” in The Irish Arts Review of Summer 2019.

The forthcoming “Gazetteer of Irish Stained Glass” by Dr. David Caron.

A full list of windows is at the end of this page.

The images below are:-

St. Ita from the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Senan, 1963, Kilkee, Co. Clare.

Abstracts from the Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, 1976, Doonbeg, Co. Clare.

St. Peter from the Church of the Sacred Heart, 1963, Rath, Co. Cork.

St. Brendan from the Church of Our Lady & St. Brendan, 1970, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Nativity from the church of Church of Our Lady Crowned, 1962, Mayfield, Cork.

Sowing & Reaping from the Presbyterian Church, 1956, Malahide, Co. Dublin.

Abstracts from the St. Anthony Chapel, 1958, Franciscan Church, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Holy Family from the Church of St. Joseph, 1961, Carras, Co. Mayo.

Madonna & Child from the chapel, 1963, Ballinafad House, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.

Church of the Immaculate Conception and
Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven,
Church of the Sacred Heart, 1963, Rath,
Church of Our Lady Crowned, 1962, Mayfie
Presbyterian Church, 1956, Malahide, Co.
Church of Our Lady & St
Church of St. Joseph, 1961, Carras, Co
Ballinafad House, 1963, Ballinrobe, Co
St. Anthony Chapel, 1958. Clonmel, Co

LIST OF STAINED GLASS

Antrim, Belfast, St. Peter’s Cathedral, 2004

Antrim, Cushendall, St. Mary’s Church, 1958

Antrim, Glengormley, St. Bernard’s Church, 2003

Armagh, Lurgan, St. Paul’s Church, 1966

Carlow, Tullow, Parish Church, c1962

Clare, Doonbeg, Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, 1976

Clare, Ennis, Franciscan Friary,1967

Clare, Kilkee, Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Senan, 1963

Clare, Knockerra, St. Senan’s Church, 1961

Clare, Labasheeda, St. Kieran’s Church, 1976

Clare, Lisdeen, Church of St Flannan, 1963/2011 

Clare, Lisseycasey, Church of Our Lady of the Wayside, 1979

Clare, Monmore Church, 1960

Clare, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 1971

Clare, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Carrigoran House, Sisters of Charity, 1974

Cork, Ballyhooly, Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1969

Cork, Blackrock, St. Michael’s Church, 1964

Cork, Caheragh, Church of the Holy Family, 1963

Cork, Holy Trinity Church,1968

Cork, Crosshaven, Presentation Convent Chapel,1974

Cork, Lowerton, Church of the Seven Sacraments, 1967

Cork, Mallow, Church of the Resurrection, 1967 & 1989

Cork, Mayfield, Church of Our Lady Crowned, 1962

Cork, Rath, Church of the Sacred Heart, 1963

Cork, Rochestown, Capuchan Friary, 1961

Derry, Coleraine, Causeway Hospital Chapel, 2001

Donegal, Creeslough, Ards Friary, 1966

Dublin, Ashling Hotel, 1968

Dublin, Ballyroan, Church of the Holy Spirit, 1967

Dublin, Dalkey, Our Lady’s Manor, 1965

Dublin, Donneycarney, Church of Our Lady of Consolation, 1968

Dublin, Drumcondra, Corpus Christi Church, 1991

Dublin, Dunlaoghaire, St. Michael’s Church, 1973

Dublin, Greenhills, Church of the Holy Spirit, 1969

Dublin, Malahide, Presbyterian Church, 1956

Dublin, Parnell Road, Christian Brothers, c1968

Dublin, Rathmines, St. Louis High School, 1963/4

Dublin, St Declan’s School, 1959

Galway, Dunmore, Church of Our Lady & St. Nicholas, 1967 

Galway, Tuam, Bon Secours, 1962

Galway, Galway Cathedral, 1964 & c1995

Galway, Presentation Road, St. Joseph’s Church, c1960

Kerry, Ardfert, St. Brendan’s Church, 1978

Kerry, Killarney Cathedral, 1972 

Kerry, Tralee, Bon Secours Hospital Chapel, 1963

Kerry, Tralee, Church of Our Lady & St. Brendan, 1970

Kildare, Cooleragh, Church of Christ The King, 1963

Kildare, Curragh Camp, St. Brigid’s Church, 1959

Kildare, Newbridge, Patrician Monastery, 1963

Kildare, Newbridge College Chapel, 1966

Kilkenny, Villa Maria, Mercy Convent Chapel, 1984

Laois, Portarlington, Mount St. Anne’s Retreat Centre, 1964/5

Laois, Mountmellick, Presentation Convent, 1958

Limerick, Castleconnell, Castle Oaks Hotel formerly Presentation convent, c1960 

Limerick, Dominican, Blessed Martin Chapel, 1959 & c1980

Limerick, Our Lady Perpetual Succour, Redemptorist Retreat House, 1960 (gone)

Limerick, Our Lady of the Rosary, 1979

Limerick, Dominican Oratory, 1980

Limerick, Lisnagry, St. Vincent’s Centre, 1969

Limerick, Milford, Our Lady Help of Christians, 1981

Longford, Ardagh, St. Brigid’s Church, 1977

Mayo, Ballinrobe, Ballinafad House, 1963

Mayo, Carras, St. Joseph’s Church, 1961

Mayo, Roundfort Church, 1960

Meath, Carnaross, St. Kieran’s Chuch, c1956

Meath, Kilberry, Church of St. John The Baptist, 1964

Nigeria, Emekuku, Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1966

Nigeria, Mokola, Church of St. Gabriel, 1971

Nigeria, Ogoja, St. Benedict’s Cathedral, 1957

Pakistan, Wah, Presentation Convent Chapel, 1955

Sligo, Holy Cross Priory, 1973 (gone)

Tipperary, Borrisokane, Church Ss Peter & Paul, 1974

Tipperary, Cahir, St Mary’s Church, 1969

Tipperary, Cashel, Chez Hans Restaurant, 1968

Tipperary, Clonmel, Church of Ss Peter & Paul, 1956

Tipperary, Clonmel, Kickham Barracks, 1956

Tipperary, Clonmel, Franciscan Church & St. Anthony Chapel, 1958

Tipperary, Killenaule, St. Mary’s Church, c1970

Tipperary, Newtown, Yaughelarra, Church of the Holy Spirit, 1970

Tyrone, Ackinduff, St. Joseph’s Church, 1960

UK, Kent, Farnborough, Church of St. Michael & All Angels, 1964 

UK, Sussex, Patcham, Church of St. Thomas More, 1969

UK, Sussex, Lancing, Holy Family Church, 1970

UK, Worthing, St. Mary’s Convent Chapel, 1967

Wales, Llanrwst Church, (formerly in Betws-y-Coed Church,) 1960

Waterford, Dungarvan, Sisters of Mercy Primary School, 1965

Wexford, New Ross, Good Counsel College Chapel, 1984

Wexford, Inch Church, 1984

Murphy-Devitt Sories
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