Irene Broe facts for kids

Irene Broe (born February 19, 1923 – died August 27, 1992) was a talented Irish sculptor. A sculptor is an artist who creates three-dimensional artworks, often by carving or molding materials like clay, stone, or metal. Irene Broe was known for her modern and expressive sculptures.

Her Early Life and Family

Irene Broe was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 19, 1923. Her family had a strong connection to art. Her father, Leo Broe, was also a sculptor. The family even ran a sculpting business in Harold's Cross, Dublin.

Irene's brother, Desmond Broe, followed in their father's footsteps and became a sculptor too. Irene first studied beauty, but then she decided to pursue her passion for art. In 1947, she started studying sculpture at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).

She began with night classes and later became a full-time student. She graduated in 1951. One of her professors, Friedrich Herkner, said she was a very serious and hardworking student. She made many studies from real life and her imagination.

In 1952, Irene visited Paris, a famous city for art. When she returned to Dublin, she became a member of the first council of the Institute of the Sculptors of Ireland. This was a group for sculptors in Ireland.

Later, Irene moved to London. There, she met a scientist named Jim McDonnell. They got married and moved to Malaysia, where Jim worked. In 1966, they came back to Ireland and settled in Blackrock, Dublin. They had a son named Shane. Irene Broe passed away in Dublin on August 27, 1992.

Irene Broe's Sculpting Work

Irene Broe had a more modern style of art compared to her father and brother. They often created traditional sculptures. Irene made many portrait heads, which are sculptures of people's faces. She also created some religious art.

Irene was an important part of the art world in Ireland. She was on the first council of the Institute of the Sculptors of Ireland. She showed her art in their yearly exhibitions from 1953 to 1957. She also exhibited more than 29 pieces of art at the Royal Hibernian Academy starting in 1953.

When she lived in London in 1958, she met other famous sculptors like F.E. McWilliam and Lynn Chadwick. In 1952, Irene even took part in the Summer Olympics in art. This was a special event where artists competed, but no medals were given.

Famous Portrait Sculptures

Irene Broe created many famous portrait heads. Some of these include:

• Donogh O'Malley (1968)
• Arland Ussher (1978)
• Roger Casement
• W. B. Yeats
• Brendan Behan
• Samuel Beckett

She also sculpted portraits of her own family members: her father, her brother, and her son, Shane McDonnell. Many of these portraits were made from bronze, a strong metal. These bronze sculptures are some of her most well-known works. Her son, Shane, also learned sculpting from her and used bronze as his main material.

In 2013, a bronze sculpture of Donogh O'Malley sold for over a thousand US dollars. Eight copies of this sculpture were made. You can find some of them in colleges across Ireland, like Trinity College Dublin, the University of Limerick, and the National College of Ireland.

Irene's work was shown alongside her brother's and father's art. They also exhibited with another artist, May Power, at the 1955 Institute of the Sculptors of Ireland exhibition. This show was held at the Hugh Lane Gallery.

Sculpting in Malaysia

In 1959, Irene moved to Malaysia with her husband and lived there for seven years. She continued her art career there. Irene was very active in the art scene in Malaysia. She took part in exhibitions and received many commissions. A commission is when someone asks an artist to create a specific piece of art for them.

One important commission was a sculpture of the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. This sculpture was shown at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Today, you can see it in the house of parliament in Kuala Lumpur. In 1964, Irene also created a portrait of Ralph Deraniyagala, who was the speaker of the house of representatives in Sri Lanka.

Religious Art and Later Works

Irene Broe also created religious sculptures. A statue of St Clare by Irene can be found in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Dublin. The plaster model of this statue was shown at The Exhibition of Irish Sacred Art in 1962.

The grave of Irene Broe

After returning to Ireland in 1966, Irene kept working. She completed a portrait of the author Patricia Lynch. This artwork was shown at the 1971 Dun Laoghaire Arts Week exhibition.

Throughout her career, Irene Broe created over ninety pieces of art. Her most famous work is probably the statue of St Valentine at the shrine in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, Dublin. The statue shows St Valentine wearing red robes and holding a crocus flower.

Statue of St Valentine by Irene Broe