The Chapel of the Sacred Heart is a neo-gothic

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

in Dingle,

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

, Ireland. Attached to Saint Mary's Catholic Church, on Green Street in the center of the town, it was built for a local enclosed order of Presentation Sisters, by the architect C. J. McCarthy in 1886. The original building consisted of a short and narrow

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, flanked by choir stalls, leading to an altar and three stained glass

bay window A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. Types Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or r ...

s. The chapel underwent major refurbishment in the early 1920s, during the tenure of the order's

Mother Superior An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

Ita Macken.Costigan (2010), p. 318 Under guidance from the Irish architect and architectural historian Rudolf M. Butler, Macken commissioned the Irish artist

Harry Clarke Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau and ...

to produce six double lancet

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows for the chapel. They were completed and installed in 1924, with three of the colorful and highly detailed windows situated on either side of the nave. The lancets depict scenes from the

life of Christ The life of Jesus in the New Testament is primarily outlined in the four canonical gospels, which includes his genealogy and Nativity of Jesus, nativity, Ministry of Jesus, public ministry, Passion of Jesus, passion, prophecy, Resurrection of ...

. Clarke was at the time a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and was paid a fee of £1,000 for the works. Today it is under the ownership of Díseart Centre of Irish Spirituality and Culture (Irish: ''Ionad Spioradáltachta agus Cultúir Ghaelaigh''). As Clarke later became an internationally renowned artist, the chapel is a significant local tourist attraction.The Chapel of the Sacred Heart
. Díseart Centre of Irish Spirituality and Culture. Retrieved 30 June 2019

Description

The

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

and

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

of the chapel are dedicated to the

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...

, and were designed by the architect Rudolf M. Butler, and sculpted by George Smith. Butler also designed the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

, which is lined with Italian marble

tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...

s, and contains twenty-four panels decorated with the Presentation Order symbol of an oak tree, as well as representations of a

Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...

, and symbols of Jesus' crucifixion, including a crown of thorns,

sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through t ...

, and nails. Choir stalls and

stations of the cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

line each side of the short and narrow

. The choir arches are made from Spanish oak. In the 19th century, the nuns would each have had a set place in the chapel, with, according to Díseart, the "novices itting on hinged seatsclosest to the altar, while the Mother Superior and the Mistress of Novices were seated on either side of the entrance". The seats are hinged as the nuns would have alternately sat or stood during call and response chants. Díseart explains how "the...seats lifted up as the nuns rose for those parts of the Liturgy where they were required to stand; underneath each seat is a protruding ledge, specifically for the elderly Sisters to rest on while still appearing to stand". The chapel is located on the third floor of the convent building on the grounds of Saint Mary's Catholic Church. The building also contains a

buon fresco Buon fresco () is a fresco painting technique in which alkaline-resistant pigments, ground in water, are applied to wet plaster. It is distinguished from the fresco-secco (or ''a secco'') and finto fresco techniques, in which paints are applied t ...

of the Last Supper, designed by Ella Yates, in the refectory (dining room), a series of

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

s of Irish saints, and a room of murals commemorating the life of

Nano Nagle Venerable Honora Nagle ( – 26 April 1784), known informally as Nano Nagle, was a pioneer of Roman Catholic education in Ireland despite legal prohibitions. She founded the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM), com ...

, the

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

nun who founded the Presentation Order in 1775. Generations of Saint Mary's Presentation nuns are buried in a small, compact and linearly arranged graveyard outside the chapel.

Harry Clarke windows

In June 1922, Sister Ita Macken, in consultation with Butler, commissioned the then up and coming

to design and install six double- lancet or "light", stained glass windows, at an agreed fee of £1,000. Clarke completed the cartoons in February 1924,Costigan (2010), p. 192 and was closely involved in the window's production, overseeing members of his studio (employee's of Harry's father, Joshua's studio "J. Clarke & Sons", which from 1930 became "Harry Clarke Stained Glass Ltd"). The artist Philip Deegan was particularly involved in their execution. The windows were completed and installed in the chapel in March 1924. Shortly after, Clarke wrote to Macken, recounting "the pleasure of hearing from Mr Butler to the effect that he has visited Dingle, and that the windows are in every effect satisfactory." File:Dingle Presentation Convent Chapel Harry Clarke Window The Baptism of Jesus.jpg, ''The Baptism of Jesus'' (detail) File:Harry Clarke Let the little children come to me (Dingle).jpg, ''Let the little children come to Me'' (detail) File:Harry Clarke The Agony in the Garden (Dingle).jpg, ''The Agony in the Garden'' The six double lancet windows each show a scene from the life of Christ.Costigan (2010), p. 20 Stained glass in Dingle

#''The Visit of the Magi'' - This diptych begins with an angel positioned over Jesus. The second lancet, or light, shows Mary wearing a blue cloak, with

Christ Child The Christ Child, also known as Divine Infant, Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, the Divine Child, Child Jesus, the Holy Child, Santo Niño, and to some as Señor Noemi refers to Jesus Christ from his nativity to age 12. The four canonical gospels, a ...

straggling her lap. #''The Baptism of Jesus'' - His baptism at the river Jordan was witnessed three angels. #''Let the little children come to me'' - Mary holds an infant in long swaddling clothes in the first lancet, as two disciples stand behind her. In the second, Jesus sits among a group of children. #''The Sermon on the Mount'' - The upper glass panels of the first lancet show six disciples attending Jesus' most celebrated teachings as recounted in the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...

. In the second, Jesus speaks to a crowd from an elevated mound, where he is attended by two disciples. #''The Agony in the Garden'' - The first light shows an angel watching over Jesus. The second shows Jesus' anguish on the Mount of Olives on the night before his crucifixion. A disciple sleeps on a bed of flowers beside him. #''Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene'' - The cliffs above

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

contain a town and a detailed view of women in silver and gold cloaks walking across

cobblestone Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fro ...

s.Costigan, Lucy (2009).
Let the little children come to me
. harryclarke.net. Retrieved 30 June 2019 File:Harry Clarke Stained Glass Windows (Dingle).JPG, ''The Agony in the Garden'' (detail) File:Harry Clarke The Sermon on the Mount 1924.jpg, ''The Sermon on the Mount'' File:Harry Clarke Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (Dingle).jpg, ''Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene''

References

Notes

Sources

* Gordon Bowe, Nicola. ''A Monograph and Catalogue Published to Coincide with the Exhibition "Harry Clarke", 12 November to 8 December 1979 at the Douglas Hyde Gallery''. Dublin:

Douglas Hyde Gallery The Douglas Hyde Gallery is a publicly funded contemporary art gallery situated within the historical setting of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. When the Gallery opened in 1978, it was for a number of years Ireland's only public gallery of ...

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, 1979 * Costigan, Lucy; Cullen, Michael. ''Strangest Genius: The Stained Glass of Harry Clarke''. The History Press, 2010. * Gordon Bowe, Nicola. "The works of Harry Clarke and the artists of An Túr Gloine (''The Tower of Glass'') 1903-1963". ''Gazetteer of Irish stained glass'', Irish Academic Press, 1988 * Griffith, Angela; Helmers, Marguerite; Kennedy, Róisín (eds). ''Harry Clarke and Artistic Visions of the New Irish State''. Irish Academic Press, 2018. * Yeats, Eleanor. ''Nano's Pilgrim Artist: A Creative Celebration of Venerable Nano Nagle Founder of the Presentation Sisters''. Red Hen Publishing, 2015.

External links

St Mary’s Church Dingle
{{coord missing, County Kerry Christian architecture Harry Clarke Churches in County Kerry