The Honan Chapel : A Golden Vision

The strength of the book is its marvelously rich and detailed discussion of a 'case study' within the Arts and Crafts movement and the carefully constructed description of every aspect of the Chapel provides a coherency to Irish Arts and Crafts that enriches studies of the area." -- Professor Janice Helland Queen's University OntarioThe Honan Chapel is a brilliant compilation of the finest skills of the Irish Arts and Crafts movement of the early twentieth century.The Honan Chapel at University College Cork, consecrated in 1916, was a unique concept, reflecting in both its architecture and decoration every element of the Irish arts and crafts movement. It was founded in the belief that it is essential for a University College to meet both the spiritual and academic needs of students. Associated with this was the belief that the chapel's design must be truly Irish in inspiration and representative of early Irish ecclesiastical art. Internally the extraordinary collection of chapel furnishings, textiles, vestments etc. was conceived and executed at the height of the early twentieth century Celtic revival and is a unique expression of that renaissance. It contains items in silver and wood, cloth, paper and stone, providing a valuable and unique record of the best of Irish ecclesiastical art at the time, and is a remarkable expression of the Irish Arts and Crafts movement.The contributors to this volume illustrate different aspects of the Honan collection, the social and cultural context in which pieces were made, as well as the artistic environment of the arts and crafts movement. The book also includes the first a comprehensive inventory of the contents of the collection, And over 150 stunning photographs using the latest digital technology.