Making Ireland Modern presents a free, first come first served, Lunchtime Talk on Monday 11 July at 1pm in the Bailey Allen Hall, NUIG, University Road, Galway featuring John McLaughlin, Gary A. Boyd, Dr Anna Ryan, SAUL, Dr Diarmuid O’Donovan, HSE and Lorraine Lydon, HSE.

Making Ireland Modern explores the relationship between architecture, infrastructure and technology in the building of a new nation. Constructed as an open matrix of drawings, photographs, models and other artefacts, the exhibition presents ten infrastructural episodes – Negation, Electricity, Health, Transportation, Television, Aviation, Education, Telecommunications, Motorways, Data – spanning a period of one hundred years from 1916-2016. Exploring a range of scales from the detail design of objects to entire landscapes and other territories, Making Ireland Modern describes architecture’s role in transforming the physical and cultural identity of the new state through its intercession in the everyday lives of its population.

Line up:

John McLaughlin and Gary A. Boyd // Introduction to Making Ireland Modern

Dr Anna Ryan, SAUL // Aviation – Into the West: Rineanna and the Jumbo Jet

Dr Diarmuid O’Donovan, HSE // TB and Sanatoria in the West of Ireland

Lorraine Lydon, HSE // Galway Regional Sanatorium as contributor to the healing process

Dr Anna Ryan is a Lecturer at SAUL since 2007 where, as an architect and geographer, she follows interests in landscape, writing, cultural geography, drawing andphotography through her teaching and research. Her publications include the book Where Land Meets Sea: Coastal Explorations of Landscape, Representation and Spatial Experience, while her research essay for Infra Éireann focuses on Shannon airport, its spatial origins and the impact of jet aircraft on its architecture.

Diarmuid O’Donovan is Director of Public Health in HSE West covering counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. He is also Senior Lecturer in Social and Preventive Medicine at NUI Galway. His work includes communicable disease control including TB, and teaching and research on health and environment, health inequalities and global health and development.

Lorraine Lydon began her technical education in the Waterford Institute of Technology, which enabled her to work in private architectural practices for a number of years. She received her Architectural education in the University of Dundee, Scotland, where she graduated with a Masters degree in Architecture and Urbanism. Lorraine is currently employed in the Office of the Assistant National Director of Estates , HSE West.

Making Ireland Modern is a key Touring Project in ART: 2016: The Arts Council’s programme as part of Ireland 2016, and is also supported by The Government Policy on Architecture and The Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI).

Touring Exhibition 2016:

Galway International Arts Festival, 11 – 24 July

St. Peter’s Centre, Cork, 8 Sept – 1 October

Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, 13 Oct – 12 November

Photo by Alice Clancy