Ballyscunnion
Encyclopedia
BallyscunnionDublin Opinion
was an imaginary village in Ireland
created by the artistWilliam St.John Glenn R.U.A. The work was produced on white china scraperboard, painted with black ink and then scraped off skilfully with a blade to produce details.
William St. John Glenn List of artists from Northern Ireland#G, informally known as Bill Glenn http://irishcomics.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Glenn, was born in 1904. He was an artist of warmth and gentle humour, and this was always present in “Ballyscunnion” as the village came to terms in its own ways with the changing world. The work spanned over 30 years and because the period detail was so accurate in observation, it makes a unique pictorial history of social changes in rural Ireland
.
The first reference to “ Ballyscunnion” was actually in a “wash” drawing which appeared in 1937 in “Dublin Opinion
”- a humorous, pictorial magazine
which appeared monthly as light relief from the turbulent period following the birth of the nation. Then from late 1938 “Ballyscunnion” appeared in scraperboard and continued this way until 1969, with a break from mid 1940 till 1946 due to illness and the war.
In total there were 285 ”Ballyscunnions” produced, some reappearing when Dublin Opinion produced a selection of their drawing
s in booklet
s and then in the books Fifteen, Thirty and Forty Years of Dublin Opinion.
An exhibition of “Ballyscunnion” drawings was held in the Irish Club in Eaton Square
, Belgravia
, London
in 1970. The exhibition was opened by Sir Charles Petrie, military historian, and the editor of Dublin Opinion, Charles E. Kelly Charles E. Kelly (cartoonist)
, flew over especially from Ireland. He suggested that the collection should find a home in the National Gallery in Dublin because “I am sure the like of this will not be seen again.” William St John Glenn died in Chelsea in 1974.
Dublin Opinion
Dublin Opinion was an Irish satirical magazine, published monthly from 1922 to 1968. It was founded by cartoonists Arthur Booth and Charles E. Kelly and writer Thomas J. Collins. Booth was its first editor, and drew the covers of the early issues. The first issue was launched on 1 March 1922, and...
was an imaginary village in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
created by the artistWilliam St.John Glenn R.U.A. The work was produced on white china scraperboard, painted with black ink and then scraped off skilfully with a blade to produce details.
William St. John Glenn List of artists from Northern Ireland#G, informally known as Bill Glenn http://irishcomics.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Glenn, was born in 1904. He was an artist of warmth and gentle humour, and this was always present in “Ballyscunnion” as the village came to terms in its own ways with the changing world. The work spanned over 30 years and because the period detail was so accurate in observation, it makes a unique pictorial history of social changes in rural Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The first reference to “ Ballyscunnion” was actually in a “wash” drawing which appeared in 1937 in “Dublin Opinion
Dublin Opinion
Dublin Opinion was an Irish satirical magazine, published monthly from 1922 to 1968. It was founded by cartoonists Arthur Booth and Charles E. Kelly and writer Thomas J. Collins. Booth was its first editor, and drew the covers of the early issues. The first issue was launched on 1 March 1922, and...
”- a humorous, pictorial magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
which appeared monthly as light relief from the turbulent period following the birth of the nation. Then from late 1938 “Ballyscunnion” appeared in scraperboard and continued this way until 1969, with a break from mid 1940 till 1946 due to illness and the war.
In total there were 285 ”Ballyscunnions” produced, some reappearing when Dublin Opinion produced a selection of their drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s in booklet
Booklet
Booklet may refer to:* A small book or group of pages* Postage stamp booklet, made up of one or more small panes of postage stamps in a cardboard cover...
s and then in the books Fifteen, Thirty and Forty Years of Dublin Opinion.
An exhibition of “Ballyscunnion” drawings was held in the Irish Club in Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
, Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1970. The exhibition was opened by Sir Charles Petrie, military historian, and the editor of Dublin Opinion, Charles E. Kelly Charles E. Kelly (cartoonist)
Charles E. Kelly (cartoonist)
Charles Edward Kelly was an Irish cartoonist, and one of the founders and editors of the satirical magazine Dublin Opinion. His prolific contributions to the magazine were drawn in a variety of styles, from cartoony to illustrative.Kelly joined the Irish civil service as a messenger boy at the age...
, flew over especially from Ireland. He suggested that the collection should find a home in the National Gallery in Dublin because “I am sure the like of this will not be seen again.” William St John Glenn died in Chelsea in 1974.