merrion street

The Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D. today met with Fiona Hyslop, MSP, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs at the Four Courts in Dublin to announce a joint Irish and Scottish collaboration on conservation works to the Four Courts building.
In March 2017, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the OPW Heritage Service to provide a basis for sharing experiences, expertise and knowledge between the two organisations and focussing in particular on conservation related activities. The partners now propose to work together on the first piece of work to emerge from the relationship.
The OPW has been engaged over the last two years in repairs and detailed investigation works on the 1920’s era concrete dome and the stone drum of the Four Courts. There are 24 carved Corinthian capitals supporting the dome and a number have become significantly eroded and degraded over time. A number of the existing capitals will therefore have to be repaired or replaced with new carved capitals.
Under the Memorandum, Stonemasons from the OPW and HES will engage to work together to carve one of the replacement capitals: this work will be done at the Engine Shed in Stirling, the HES’s new facility dedicated to supporting traditional crafts and educating people about the value of heritage. At the Engine Shed, OPW and HES stonemasons will carve the new Four Courts capital in full view of visitors so members of the public can see this highly specialist and dramatic work in progress. The completed carved capital will then be returned to Dublin and installed in the Four Courts.
Speaking today at the Four Courts Fiona Hyslop said, “Historic Environment Scotland and The Office of Public Works have a great deal in common and this partnership is based on sharing experiences, expertise and knowledge. The strong historic, cultural and economic ties between the two countries underpin the relationship and the Four Courts project is a great way of strengthening those ties.”
Kevin Moran said, “The project will see a new large capital carved for the magnificent Four Courts building. This will be done by stonemasons from both organisations at the Engine Shed, Scotland’s new national building conservation centre in Stirling, before being shipped to Dublin. I am very happy that this relationship will not alone provide us with a key part of the replacement stonework we need for the Four Courts, but will also have the added benefit of exposing some of our best Irish craftsmen in stone to a unique opportunity to learn from their Scottish counterparts and to showcase the talents of both in public.”