A traditional icon, commissioned by Galway Advertiser founder Ronnie O’Gorman who passed away in May, was consecrated on Friday night on the feast of St Nicholas, at the Patronal Vespers at St Nicholas Collegiate Church.
As Storm Darragh lashed the west coast, the 700-year-old church hosted the ecumenical ceremony attended by Reverend Alistair Doyle, Bishop Michael Duignan, Fr. Tudor, and Fr. Peter, and assistants Oman and Gregory as well as choirs and members of the congregation.
The icon, commissioned in memory of Ronnie’s late mother Joy Elizabeth Hackett O’ Gorman, arrived in the country last week and will add to the colour of the historic church. Ronnie wanted the icon to be a traditional representation of St Nicholas of Myra, Patron Saint of Galway, robed in his Orthodox episcopal vestments, carrying a closed copy of the Gospel in one hand and blessing the viewer with the other.
The new icon was commissioned from Peter Murphy, a UK-based iconographer and close friend of Ronnie, whose work can be found in many churches, cathedrals and museums, with notable installations at Tewkesbury Abbey and Hereford Cathedral. Peter uses traditional techniques from medieval religious painting, including egg tempura paint and gold leaf.
He is chief tutor at St Peter’s Centre for Sacred Art in Canterbury, and visiting tutor in Byzantine iconography and Early Italian painting and gilding techniques for the Edward James Foundation at West Dean College in Sussex.
Speaking to the Advertiser, Mr Murphy said how Ronnie also wanted representations of four miracles associated with the saint. After some discussion, it was decided that these scenes should be painted, two on each side, on the closing wings of a triptych.”
He said that Ronnie was particularly concerned that the miracle scenes should reflect the saint’s intercession for and response to the prayers of disparate elements of society, in order to represent symbolically, all the people of Galway.
“With this in mind, we explored the images of traditional miracle scenes associated with the saint and how they had been depicted in past icons. Three of the scenes occur regularly in hagiographical icons of the Eastern Church depicting St Nicholas and his miracles.
The stunning icon can be seen by all visiting St Nicholas Collegiate Church, and has drawn praise from hundreds of visitors in its first week.
