Jeanne Patricia Rynhart (17 March 1946 – 9 June 2020) was an Irish sculptor and creator of the Molly Malone statue.

Background

Rynhart was born Jeanne Scuffil in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

on 17 March 1946. Her parents were Kathleen Connolly and Frederick Scuffil, the latter a sign writer for

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

. She was an apprentice to George Collie RHA for 2 years, and then attended the

National College of Art and Design The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...

. After graduating in 1969, she moved to England where she continued her studies in fine art and shared a studio with sculptor John Letts. She returned to Ireland in 1981, moving to

Ballylickey Ballylickey or Ballylicky () is a village on the N71 national secondary road and Bantry Bay near Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. The Ouvane River flows into Bantry Bay at Ballylickey. Tourism There is a caravan park at Eagle Point. The Seavie ...

, near

Bantry Bantry () is a town in the civil parish of Kilmocomoge in the barony of Bantry on the southwest coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies in West Cork at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for to the west. The Beara Peninsula is ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

, where she established the Rynhart Fine Art gallery and workshop. Rynhart and her husband, Derek Rynhart, had 2 children.

Career

Rynhart created the Molly Malone statue for the 1988

Millennium celebrations. The statue was controversial at the time of its unveiling due to the revealing dress the statue wore. Registrar of

Aosdána Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...

, Adrian Munnelly wrote to the An Bord Fáilte criticising it. The statue was defended by the

Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The ...

Ben Briscoe Ben Briscoe (born 11 March 1934) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for 37 years, representing constituencies in the south Dublin city area. Member of Dáil Éireann Briscoe was first elected to Dáil Éire ...

. Rynhart herself wrote in

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

that the clothing and appearance were accurate for women of that era. The statue has since become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Dublin and is fondly regarded by locals. Rynhart also sculpted a statue commemorating the original

Rose of Tralee (The) Rose of Tralee may refer to: * Rose of Tralee (festival) The Rose of Tralee International Festival is an international event which is celebrated among Irish diaspora, Irish communities all over the world. The festival, held annually in ...

, Mary O'Connor, which stands in

Tralee Town Park Tralee Town Park ( ga, Páirc Bhaile Thrá Lí) or known locally as "The Green" is a public park located in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. Covering an area of 35 acres it is one of the largest urban public parks in Ireland. It is located in the ...

. In 1993, she produced 2 statues in honour of Annie Moore at

Cobh Heritage Centre The Cobh Heritage Centre is a museum located in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. It is attached to Cobh railway station. The "Queenstown Experience", located at the centre, has mostly permanent exhibitions of Irish history. It has held exhibits on li ...

in Cork and

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mi ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The Ellis Island statue was dedicated by the then-

President of Ireland The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The president holds office for seven years, and can ...

Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson ( ga, Máire Mhic Róibín; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who was the 7th president of Ireland, serving from December 1990 to September 1997, the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her electi ...

. In 1994, Rynhart's daughter Audrey joined the business. Audrey and her husband, Les Elliott, continue to operate from their studio in

Glengarriff Glengarriff () is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71 national secondary road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the norther ...

, County Cork.

Death

Rynhart died on 9 June 2020, aged 74, in Schull Community Hospital, Cork. She was buried in the Abbey Cemetery, Bantry, and is survived by her husband Derek and their children.

References

Irish sculptors 20th-century Irish sculptors 1940s births 2020 deaths 21st-century Irish sculptors Alumni of the National College of Art and Design Artists from Dublin (city) People from Bantry {{Ireland-sculptor-stub