aibítir: the irish alphabet in botanical art catalogue

7/22/2019 Aibtir: The Irish Alphabet in Botanical Art Catalogue

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THE IRISH ALPHABET IN BOTANICAL ART An exhibition by the Irish Society of Botanical Artists


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Irish Society of Botanical ArtistsThe Library, National Botanic Gardens,

Glasnevin, Dublin 9

2014 Irish Society of Botanical Artistsand individual artists and contributors

Photographs of Wendy Walsh and Raymond Piper with kind permission of Pat ClarkePhotographs of hand-in day and Foundation Day with kind permission of Carol Kennedy

Photographs of artists and Brendan Sayers (pages 22, 23) with kind permission of Sarah MorrishPhotographs of plants with kind permission of Dieter Stark

Editors: Mary Dillon, Brendan Sayers

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systemwithout express written permission from the author / publisher.

Designed by Jane Stark Typeset in Gill Sans

ISBA Annual Publication 2014ISBN: 978-0-9928693-0-4

ISSN: 2009-7182

Printed and bound in Ireland byKPS Colourprint, Knock, County Mayo

To a Doyenne and Doyen of Irish Botanical Art who carried the torch with dedication, elegance and precision

we say thank you.Wendy Walsh 19152014Raymond Piper 19232007


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T here is something deeply satisfying about botanical art in that it bridges the divide between scienceand art, and celebrates nature for its fundamental beauty.

Art and science celebrate the natural world from different perspectives. One delights in thesensory, the other in the functionality. But only in the English-speaking world does the academic gulf seem sodeep. This, quite unnatural, segregation is based on an idea that they somehow explain or explore the world inradically different ways. But it wasnt always so, once they were simply two branches of Natural Philosophy.

The word scientist was only coined in 1833. It occurred at the 3rd meeting of the British Association for theAdvancement of Science. A debate took place upon the terminology that should be used to refer to the manygentlemen (and some ladies) of science then gathered in Cambridge. No less a personage than Samuel TaylorColeridge expressed his dislike for the term philosopher at which point William Whewell (Master of TrinityCollege, Cambridge, and dabbler in every branch of science) suggested the word scientist, as a parallel to theword artist. Thus the new vocabulary for a practitioner of science was inspired by the creative discipline of art.Intriguingly even great poets of the day attended such meetings, a thing perhaps unheard of today. Did the veryact of naming scientists somehow encourage this division of the disciplines into different schools of thought?

One of the premier scientists of his day, Charles Darwin, was at that very moment in South America on hismomentous voyage aboard HMS Beagle. It was Darwins insight into the functioning of nature that heraldeda new sense of wonder amongst the Natural Philosophers when they realised that every physical structureof plant or animal can play some remarkable biological role beyond its intrinsic prettiness. That the shape,shade and angle of a single leaf or ower embodies both beauty and purpose makes botany a science thatdelights in visual beauty. Aibtir is thus a fabulous reminder of how words and letters might in uence our

thinking about the world, but the common ground of celebrating the splendour of creation all around us iswhat truly restores the meeting of science and ar t in this exhibition.

Matthew JebbDirector, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

BOTANICAL ARTAislinn AdamsLorraine Adams

Jacqueline Allwood

Janet BockettFionnuala BroughanMarcella CampbellAsha ChawlaBetty Christie

Janet ColganMary CorcoranBarbara CullenMarie de Lacy Sally de BromheadMary DillonShevaun Doherty Kathleen Dowd

Margaret DoyleAnne Marie DurcanColette EdwardsNoeleen FrainHilary Gilmore

Jarnie GodwinDoreen Hamilton

Niamh Harding Miller Veronica HeywoodLeueen Hill

Patricia HughesAnn KaneMaura KeatingMary KillianDeborah LambkinGrania LangrisheTara Lanigan OKeeffeSiobhn LarkinPamela LeonardBreda MaloneMary McInerney Claudia McManusIda Mitrani

Nicola Lynch MorrinSarah MorrishPatricia MorrisonSusan MosseHelen NoonanBelinda NorthcoteRita OMahony

Rona OrchardMargareta PertlYanny Petters

Oonagh PhillipsRos Power Elizabeth PrendergastCarmel QuinnColette RobertsDoris Rohr Susan Sex

Jess ShepherdHolly SomervilleMaeve SpotswoodMarie Stamp

Jane Stark Emma Stewart Liberty

Lynn Stringer Niamh Synnott Jenny TrigwellMargaret Walsh BestClaire Ward

Julie WhelanFrances Wortley

Inspiring and Encouraging Botanical Art in Ireland Congratulations to all who participated in Aibtir


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A FRESH FLOWERING

What is a botanical portrait? ( Fig. 1) William T. Stearn in his little book Flower Artists of Kew 1, succinctlysummed it up when he noted: The ower painterfails if a work lacks beauty, the botanical painter fails ifit lacks accuracy. The aim of the botanical portraitistis to be scienti c and accurate in portraying plantlife. Minute precision, a careful choice of coloursand design coupled with exactitude all play a vitalrole in the formation of the botanical portrait orillustration. Today, artists have at their disposal a widerange of sophisticated materials and tools madepossible by modern technology. Traditional materialssuch as parchment, vellum, textiles or paper can bereplaced by treated papers, and in many cases theseform the base for a wide variety of mediums ranging

from watercolour to chemical colours.2

In order to translate accurate copies of their work into print, the botanical artist again has at his/her disposal amultitude of technical processes. 3

Unlike Britain, Ireland would not appear to havea strict, continuous history of botanical illustration.There is little evidence of botanical portraitistsworking in this country until the eighteenth centurywhen only isolated examples occur such as JamesGwims (or Gwin) ( .1720-69) tormentil Potentilla

erecta (Fig. 2) which appeared as a hand-colouredengraving in William Maples little pamphlet, A methodof tanning without bark (Dublin, 1729).4

The Dublin Society following its foundation in

1731, sought to raise the standard of agriculturalpractice throughout the various counties in Irelandby publishing their statistical surveys relating to awide range of agricultural subjects. These surveyscontained a number of plant portraits most notablyby members of the Dublin born Brocas family 5 whichhelped to contribute to the growing interest inbotanical illustration. Henry Brocas, seniors(c. 1762-1837) accurate, workmanlike, full botanicalportrait (engraving) of the grass-of-Parnassus,

Parnassia palustris appeared in the Societys StatisticalSurvey of the County of Londonderry(Dublin, 1802).6

In 1794, the Dublin surgeon, physician and botanist, Walter Wade (c.1750-1825) published his lists ofnative Irish plants,7 which saw the Linnaean systemand nomenclature being employed for the rst timein Irish botany. Wades Plantae Rariores in HiberniaeInventae (Dublin, 1804) 8 contained one hand-coloured engraving of the rare moss, Buxbaumiaaphylla. His later essay relating to sallows, willowsand ossiers (Dublin, 1811) used as its frontispiecean attractive copperplate engraving by James Ford( .1778-1812), hand-coloured in sepia wash of Salixacutifolia after an original by Richardson Dubl. From

county Louth, John White (c.1760-1837) whilstemployed at Glasnevin collected plants throughoutIreland for his Essay on the Indigenous Grasses ofIreland (Dublin, 1808).9 This contained descriptionsof well-known grasses found throughout the island

together with their Irish names and habitats, andcarried two handsome hand-coloured copper plateengravings. It is one of the earliest examples of anIrish botanical monograph to be illustrated. Thename of the artist was not supplied.

Fig. 1. William Kilburn (1745-1818). Bee orchid Ophrysapifera. A botanical por trait. Original watercolourdrawing for Curtiss Flora Londinensis. Reproduced with

the kind permission of the Director and the Board ofTrustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Fig. 2. James Gwim (or Gwin) tormenti l Potentilla erecta.Engraving, hand-coloured in pale yellow body-colour.Printed lower left: J. Gwim Sculp. From [William Maple], A method of tanning without bark. Printed by A. Rhames,Dublin, 1729. The engraving appears to be of the closelyrelated trailing tormentil Potentilla anglica which was notdistinguished from P. erecta at that time. Reproduced bykind permission of the National Library of Ireland.


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In the second half of the eighteenth century,improvements in technical printing methods becamemore sophisticated and saw Irish botanical illustratorsbegin to place on record the well-known plants of

the day. Born in Capel Street, Dublin, William Kilburn(1745-1818) was to make a vital contribution toscienti c botany and illustration by contributing anumber of plates to William Curtiss (1746-99) FloraLondinensis (London, [1775-] 1777-98]. 10 Both forbotanists and authors alike, the lithographic processwas now proving to be an invaluable tool. Irishbotanist, phycologist and systematist, William HenryHarvey (1811-66) was unusual in illustrating hisown work. Described as: One of the most exquisite

delineators of plantswho with his own hand drewon stone the greater part of the splendid plates 11 heprovided his own colour lithographs for a numberof his well known works including his four volume

Phycologia Britannica (1846-51). 12

Again, lithography was to prove useful when therst publication to arise directly out of the Natural

History section of the Ordnance Survey of Irelandappeared in 1837. Eight pages were devoted to thebotany of County Antrim by eld geologist and artist,

George Victor du Noyer (1817-69), Du Noyers taskbeing to record the specimens brought back by the

eld of cers attached to the survey. His lithographs,hand-coloured in watercolour included Carexbuxbaumii (pl.V) illustrated here.13 (Fig. 3)

English botanical periodicals with contributions ofbotanical drawings from Ireland included Cur tissfamous Botanical Magazine or Flower Garden Displayed (founded 1787)). 14 Two curators from Dublin, NinianNiven (c.1799-1879), (Royal Botanic Gardens,Glasnevin) and Frederick W.T. Burbidge (1847-1905),(Trinity College Botanic Garden, Ballsbridge),maintained a steady supply, Burbidge in one particularcase submitting both the specimen and drawing of

the blue- owered iris, Xiphion kolpakowskianum which

appeared in the 1880 edition. Between 1924 and 42, William Edward Trevithick (1899-1958 ) son of thehead gardener to the Marquis of Headford was also aregular contributor, not only supplying originaldrawings but his own lithographs. 15 At Kew, Trevithickwas a much sought after botanical portraitistcontributing plates to John Hutchinsons well known

Families of Flowering Plants, (1926) and, a year later toFlora of West Tropical Africa, (1927-36). 16 The BritishHorticulture periodical Gardeners Chronicle (founded,1841), widely read in Ireland, published, from time to

time, a number of illustrations by Irish artists. Co. Corkborn Gertr ude Hartland (1865-1954) executeddaffodil portraits both for the periodical and for heruncle, nursery owner, William Baylor Hartlands bulband seed catalogues. Another contributor from the

south was gardener, bibliophile and generousbenefactor to the [Royal] Botanic Gardens,Glasnevin,17 William Edward Gumbleton (1840-1911)who employed a number of botanical artists. Theseincluded a Miss E.M. Tisdal ( .1880-1890s). Sherecorded several specimens of Gumbletonsoutstanding collection of rare, tender plants raisedin his unique garden, Belgrove, Queenstown (Cobh),Co. Cork, her original watercolours ser ving as the

templates for the lihographs and woodcuts which

accompanied Gumbletons articl es.From around1780, there was a thriving scienti c

culture in Ireland represented mainly in Trinity College,Dublin, the RDS and the RIA. Women, largely due to

their gender, were con ned to working on the marginsof academic or scienti c institutions with substantialnumbers being drawn to the world of collecting andillustration. Born close to the shores of Bantry Bay, Co.Cork and described by Charles Darwin as: a youngbotanist of outstanding promise, Ellen Hutchins (1785-1815) line drawings of seaweeds were represented in

Fig. 3. Carex buxbaumii.Du Noyer Delt. G. McCoy. Sculpt.Plate V from Memoir of the City and North WesternLiberties of Londonderry. Parish of Templemore.1837.

Lithograph, hand-coloured in watercolour.Reproduced by kind permission of the library,

National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Fig. 4. Anne Elizabeth Ball. Stump puffball Lycoperdonpyriforme. Watercolour, pen and ink on cream paper.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Library,National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.


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Dawson Turners (1775-1858) well known work,Fuci(1806-19). 18 Anne Elizabeth Ball, (1808-72),(Fig. 4) an algologist, or specialist in seaweeds grewup in an age when the rise in popularity of naturalhistory study was becoming a fashionable pursuit forwomen, conforming as it did to contemporary ideasof femininity and self-expression. A friend of WilliamHenry Harvey q.v. she provided a number ofrecords for Harveys algological section of Mackays

Flora Hibernica (Dublin, 1836).19 and later to his History of British Sea-Weeds (London, 1846-51). 20 Aregular visitor to Birr Castle, the home of William,3rd Earl of Rosse, an astronomer and also hercousin, skilled microscopist, The Hon. Mary Ward(ne King) (1827-69) was the rst woman to writeand publish in relation to the microscope 21 although

it should be noted, she did not use her full name.She instead preferred to publish under The Hon. MrsW.. Following the introduction of simple lenses,

Ward produced magni ed images of botanicalmaterial as early as the mid 1800s.

Robert Lloyd Praegers (1865-1953) sister, SophiaRosamond Praeger (1867-1954) supplied simple life-size drawings for a number of her brotherspublications includingOpen Air Studies in Botany;Sketches of British Wild-Flowers in their Homes (London,

1910).22 Whilst a woman whose careeer was one ofquiet achievement rather than acclaim,23 EvelineElizabeth (Eileen) Barnes ( .1910-50) contributed asubstantial number of line drawings to Praegers

monograph on the genus Sedum.

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Aged fty-six,Lydia Shackleton (1828-1913) embarked on thedaunting task of executing over 1,400 botanicalportraits 25 for the Director of the [Royal] BotanicGardens, Glasnevin, Sir Frederick W. Moore (1857-1929). ( Fig 5) As her eyesight began to fail, she waseventually forced to retire in 1907. Ali ce Jacob (1862-1921), who succeeded Shackleton at Glasnevin sawseveral of her botanical studies being used as a basisof design for a wide variety of materials. 26

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During the last thirty years or so, I think it wouldbe fair to say a Golden Age of contemporarybotanical painting has dawned in Ireland.

Publications ranging from An Irish Florilegium Wild& Garden Plants of Ireland,27 A Prospect of IrishFlowers,28 Irelands Wild Orchids29 to botanicalexhibitions with accompanying catalogues have allsucceeded in arousing considerable public interestand brought the oustanding skill and expertise ofIrish artists to the forefront. Their body of workmeasures up well to internation al standards, a factincreasingly being acknowledged by the number ofaccolades and distinctions being awarded to them.

The late Dr. Wendy F. Walsh (1915-2014) led theway, a fact acknowledged by the Iri sh Society ofBotanical Artists who, on th eir Foundation Day, 1stMarch, 2014 awarded her with ISBA HonoraryMembership. (Fig 6)

Substantial numbers of people are now attracted to depicting the plant. As is clear from this exhibition,ISBA members are looking at their subject matterwith a fresh vision, setting new standards, generatingenthusiasm, supporting each other and bringing theirartistic skills and expertise to the attention of thegeneral public. Their work in the eld of botanicalilustration must stand as a tribute to the somewhatfragmented Irish legacy left behind by their braveforerunners, a fact which is now being honouredand acknowledged today by the formation of this

Society. Their future looks bright! Patricia ButlerMarch, 2014.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

I am immensley grateful to Librarian, Alexandra Caccamoand staff, NBG Library, the NLI staff, in particular,Honora Faul and Tom Desmond and to Brendan Sayers,Glasshouse Foreman in the NBG and designer, Jane Stark,for their kind assistance.

Fig. 5. Lydia Shackleton (1828-1914). Cobra lilyDarlingtonia californica dated May, 1886.

Watercolour highlighted with white gouache on paper.Inscribed in brown ink: Darlingtonia californica May 86.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Library,National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Fig. 6. Wendy F. Walsh (1915-20 14). Himalayan or bluepoppy Meconopsis x sheldonii. Plate No. 29 from An IrishFlorilegium: Wild & Garden Plants of Ireland . Forty-eightwatercolour paintings by Wendy F. Walsh. Introductionby Ruth Isabel Ross. Notes on the plates by E. CharlesNelson. London 1983. R eproduced by kind permissi on.


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1. Flower Artists of Kew: Botanical Paintings ofContemporary Artists [with a commentary by] WilliamT. Stearn. London (in association with The RoyalBotanic Gardens, Kew), 1990.

2. Other media include gouache, Chinese inks, charcoal,pastel, graphite, cont (crayon), acrylic paints.

3. Technical methods include copper plate engraving,etching, aquatint, stipple engraving, lithography,woodcut, nature printing, verre glomis (backpainting on clear glass). See also The Botanical Drawingin Print, pp 120-126 in Irish Botanical Illustrators andFlower Painters.Patricia Butler.Woodbridge, Suffolk,2000.

4. A method of tanning without bark . [by W. Maple]Printed by A. Rhames. Dublin, 1729.

5. Contributions to The Dublin Societys StatisticalSurveys were made by Henry Brocas, senior c.1762-1837 and his son, James Henr y Brocas c.1790-1846.See The Brocas Collection. An illustrated selective

catalogue of original watercolours, prints and drawingsin the National Library of Ireland with an account ofthe Brocas family and their contribution to the [Royal]Dublin Societys School of Landscape and OrnamentDrawing. Patricia Butler. N.L.I. Dublin, 1997.

6. Parnassia palustris (engraving) by Henry Brocas,senior (c.1762-1837) appeared between pp 196 &197. See Chap., 111 Section 1. Grasses pp 194-248 Statistical Survey of the county of Londonderry under

the direction of The Dublin Society by the Rev.G.Vaughan Sampson. Dublin, 1802.

7. Walter Wade (c.1740/60 ?-1825) MD, FRS, ALS.Professor of Botany, Dublin Society. CatalogusSystematicus Plantarum Indigenarum in ComitatuDublinensi Inventarum. Dublin, 1794.

8. Ibid.,Plantae Rariores in Hibernia Inventae (Trans. Dublin Soc. v.4, 1804, 1-214).

9. John White (c.1760-1837) Essay on Indigenous Grassesof Ireland.Dublin, 1808.

10. Flora Londinensis,or plates and descriptions of suchplants as grow wild in the environs of London 2 vols.London [1775-] 1777-98. 434 hand-coloured platesby Sydenham Edwards, William Kilburn and J. Sowerby,engraved by W. Darton and Co., W. Kilburn, F. Sansom,

J. Sowerby and J. Swan.

11. R.L. Praeger, William Henr y Harvey, Makers of BritishBotany ed. by F.W. Oliver, Cambridge, 1913, p 206.

12. William Henr y Harvey (1811-66) MD, FRS, FLS.Phycologia Britannica 1846-51 4 vols.

13. Ordnance Survey of the County of Londonderry.Colonel Colby. Vol. The First. Dublin . Memoir of theCity and North Western Liberties of Londonderry. Parishof Templemore. 1837. Plat e V. Carex buxbaumii.Du Noyer Delt. G. McCoy. Sculpt.

14. William Curtis and others. The Botanical Magazine,or Flower-Garden Displayed vols 1-14 London (1787-)1790-1800. Curtiss Botanical Magazine continuedby John Sims.

15. E. Charles Nelson and Eileen M. McCracken,The Brightest Jewel. A History of the National Botanic

Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. Kilkenny, 1987. Appendix2. Plates from Botanical Magazine (a) associated withGlasnevin ( b) by W.E. Trevithick. pp 248-249.

16. John H utchinson (1884-1972) FRS, FLS, VMH, VMM.

Families of Flowering Plants, 1926-34 2 vols: ed.31973. (2) Fl. W. Tropical Af rica (with J.M. Dalziel) 1927-36. 2 vols.

17. Patricia Butler Painting the Plant. Examples of orasfrom the library at the National Botanic Gardens,Dublin. Irish Arts Review, Vol. 24, No 3 (Summer2004) pp 100-105.

18. Ellen Hutchins (1785-1815) Fucus fruticulosus [Boergeseniella fruticulosa] in Dawson Turners Fuci (1807-19) 4 vols.

19. James Townsend Mackay (1775-1862) LLD, ALS.Flora Hibernica Dublin, 1836

20. William Henry Harvey (1811-66) MD, FRS, FLS.Phycologia Britannica 1846-51. 4 vols.

21. The Hon. Mrs W. (1827-69). Sketches with the Microscope.Parsonstown, 1857, 250 copies only; (2)

World of Nature revealed by the Microscope 1858. (3)Telescopic Teachings, Groomsbridge, 1859.

22. Open-air Studies in Botany; sketches of British wild owersin their homes by Robert Lloyd Praeger illustrated bydrawings from nature by S. Rosamund Praeger andphotographs from nature by R. Welch. London, 1910.

23. Maura J. P. Scannell, A work of special value from Stars,Shells and Bluebells. Women Scientists and Pioneers,Women in Technology and Science. Dublin, 1997, p 165.

24. R.L. Praegers (1) Account of Genus Sedum. 1921 (b) Account of Sempervivum Group.1932.

25. Between Sept.1884 and Dec., 1907, Lydia Shackleton(1828-1914 ) executed over 1,400 botanical por traits,

1,040 of which were orchids, together with studies ofboth introduced and native plants, the genera Paeonia,Lachenalia, Sarracenia and Helleborusbeing the mainsubjects illustrated. She was assisted in her task by

Josephine Humphries ( .1890s) throughout the 1890s.

26. Alice Jacobs (1862-1921) botanical studies wereused as a basis of design for lace, oral, damask,embroidery, crochet and painted silk. Several wereillustrated in James Brenans The Modern Irish LaceIndustry in W. P. Coyne (ed.) Ireland: Industrial and

Agricultural, Dublin, 1902.

27. Walsh, Wendy. F., Ross, R. I. and Nelson, E. Charles(1983) An Irish Florilegium Wild and Garden Plantsof Ireland. London: Thames & H udson. (b) Walsh,

Wendy, F. and Nelson, E. Charles (1988) An IrishFlorilegium 11 Wild and Garden Plants of Ireland. London: Thames & Hudson.

28. Walsh, Wendy F. and Nelson, E. Charles (1990) A Prospect of Irish Flowers. Belfast.

29. Susan Sex and Brendan Sayers, Irelands Wild Orchids. Portmarnock, Co. Dublin (2008).

NOTES


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ibtir celebrates many things; our oldestnative language, our native ora and the

artistic observers of nature and how theycapture that beauty on paper. The plants depictedin the pages of this catalogue came together as aseries from an original list of plants chosen in early2013. That original selection needed to re ect thediversity within the ora, in its form and stature, in

the variety of habitats on the island and especiallyin the colour of the owers, for it is these thatbring most of us into contact with the plants thatsurround us. To fur ther understand the challenge weneed to recognise that this small island has a small

ora approximately 850 owering plant species.

There was an attempt to have a representationof plants of various growth forms from a varietyof habitats. The original list of pl ants included

those that thrive on salt sprayed cliff edges, those that have a preference for the dappled shade ofwoodland, the sun-lovers, mingling with meadowgrasses and those that ourish when their feet arewet in marshy ground. There was also a need ofa balance of colour. Yellow and white owers arein abundance among the native ora, of which acollection of eighteen could appear bland. Therewas also the Irish common name , the basis of Aibtir . The challenges posed by this included theabundance of common names beginning with

Lus (herb) thus excluding a very large handful.And with time comes change and not all that wasenvisaged in those early days was wh at came tolight a year later. bhliain go bliain!

Present day attention on plant life is oftenfocused on issues of conservation of the everincreasing number of rare and en dangered species.This can distract from the simple and commonbeauty that is represented in the ora of theroadside ditches, lanes and byroads, damp elds

ceiliradh aibtr A CELEBRATION OF ALPHABETS!

LEFT: Many species of Ir ish native plants, includingBrioscln (silverweed) have yellow owers.

Plants for the Aibtir project were chosen from a variety of habitats. Among them are CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Rabhn (thrift), Ir slibhe (wood sage), Maracn gorm (harebell) and Bacn bn (waterlily).

A


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and shingle beaches. For this reason and that ofeasy accessibility by ar tists, few of our rarer specieswere painted for the Alp habets. Through thehighlighting of the more common beauty we hope

that a stronger af liation will build, so that the rarerare cherished in an all encompassing concern.

A re ection of the rarity can be found in Mchgagus Leaithn.Both ivy broomrape and mountainavens are understandably afforded more stringentconservation measures in Northern Ireland than in

the Republic of Ireland. It is not uncommon, due toland area and the habitats within or the natural halt

to expanding territory that latitude provides, that

certain species are less common as you travel nor th through the island. Speci city to habitat can also putadded pressure on species, the shrubby cinquefoil,Tor chigmharach, is a species under observationdue to its restricted Co. Clare distribution.

A recent focus on the ora is by that of theforager, supplementing the modern larder withvegetable found in eld and forest. This positive

attention again highlights the wealth that surroundsus, something that we fully acknowledged in ourchildhood activities that may have been set aside inadult years. Dris, the ubiquitous blackberry is oneplant that evokes memories for most of us. Pistag dul sios na bithrn, lena bpota, chun na smaradubha a fhil.

The very beauty of our native ora has been the

focus of many publications in the last decade and itwas among books such as The Wild owers of Ireland and Wild owers of Ireland a personal record thatartists found solace in their search for sites anddetails. The latter publication i s also the inspirationfor a comprehensive website along with IrishWild owers, both electronic sources of information

that can readily be accessed through the use ofmobile devices great for when tr avelling lightand not having a eld-guide to hand. More de nedgeographical areas of the island enjoy attention bynaturalists and some artists were fortunate enough

to be painting and searching in County Offaly with

LEFT: Mchg (ivy broomrape)BELOW: Leaithn (mountain avens)

RIGHT: S taln in(wild strawberry)BELOW: Dris (blackberry)


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The Wild owers of Offaly as a companion. A resultof the task undertaken by the artists is the closerelationships they have built with their companionplants from such research.

My non-artist role has allowed me to also widenmy knowledge of the wild plants of Ireland and

through none better a publication than The Burren;a companion to the wild owers of an Irish limestonewilderness. Within the pages are the plants, theirnames in scienti c speak, common English, agus asan teanga Tre, Gaeilge.These three languages, and

the names they bestow on our plants, allow us aglimpse of what we may clearly see or what maybe a hidden attribute, what may now be long gonefrom current everyday knowledge or may be what

we will cherish for future generations.The Alphabets speak for themselves, tell stories

and hold silent messages. They make connections thatwill never be catalogued. An Mnscoth mhr, thosegreat knapweeds of late summer reminding us that allis not lost to the oncoming autumn, a late reminderof how spectacular life can be. Tathfithleann, thewinding woodbine, my honeysuckle, mo chro.The

tale of survival, the ne foliage of Dchosach, surviving the westerly winds, safely ensconsed in the scailps of the karst Burren pavement.

We will each make our af liations with the ora

agus na litreacha de na hAibtr.Brendan Sayers

Glasshouse Foreman, NBG

REFERENCESScannell MJP & Synnott DM, 1987Census Catalogue of the ora of Ireland Clar de Phlanda na hireann,

2nd Edition, Stationary Of ce, Dublin.Doogue D & Kreiger C, 2010, The Wild owers of Ireland, Gill and McMillan Ltd, Dublin.Devlin Z, 2011, Wild owers of Ireland a personal record,Collins Press, Cork.Feehan J, 2009, The Wild owers of County Offaly,Offaly County Council, Tullamore.Nelson EC, 1997, The Burren: a companion to the wild owers of an Irish limestone wilderness,The

Conservancy of the B urren Ltd & Samton Ltd. Blackrock.Devlin Z, www.wild owerso reland.netSeawright J,www.irishwild owers.ie

Mnscoth mhr(greater knapweed) Dchosach(maidenhair fern)

Caorthann (rowan) Trom (elder)

Tthfithleann(honeysuckle)


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ibtir Alphabet, throughout the world weshare one cornerstone of how we

communicate, converse, tell our stories.As small children we hear, learn and sing our ABCs.They form the basis of many of the languages wespeak. In Ireland, our modern Irish Alphabet, Aibtir,with its eighteen letters, was preceded by anotheralphabet, Ogham.

Etched in stone , our forebears created a systemof curious marks telling the story of the trees theylived amongst. Ogham, otherwise referred to as theCeltic Tree Alphabet, re ected their connectionwith plants, with the earth, with the essence ofwho they were. Through Aibtir we extend th atconnection with that plant world to other nativeplants, many familiar, some rare, but all p art of

the natural heritage of Ireland and her people .Aibtir, the Irish Alphabet in Botanic al Art, has

blossomed from conversations and connectionsbetween a community of botanical artists,gardeners and scientists. It is not just from the fourcorners of Ireland that artists have been painting:

the Irish artistic d iaspora were painting in theiradopted homes of Britain, France, Austria,Newfoundland and the American state of Oregon.

Supported and encouraged by the gardeners,

scientists and library staff of the National BotanicGardens, each artist painted one of a wide selectionof native plants to illustrate the variety of plantforms and habitats on the whole island. To thestaff of the National Botanic Gardens, especially,

the Director, Matthew Jebb and the library staff,Alexandra Caccamo, Librarian and Colette Edwards,assistant to the Librarian, we say thank you for takingus under your wing and for giving us a home. We

are also grateful to Felicity Gaffney and to her staffin the Visitor Centre. The Playhouse, Derry underNiall McCaughan and Belfast Waterfront underBridhgn Farren have also extended a welcome tous for which we are extremely grateful.

Central to this project is the unique font createdfor us by renowned calligrapher, Tim ONeill.Whendesigning Aibtir, it seemed only right that we would

turn to Tim, as one of the foremost exponents of the Celtic uncial script. The script of our tongue,of generations who have come before us wouldindeed prove to be a most tting frame aroundwhich to wind and paint our native plants. Basedon the rst letter of the plants Irish name, plantmarries with letter, together making each of theseeighteen letter Irish Alphabets, forming Aibtir, anIrish Alphabet in Botanical Art. Thank you, Tim, forsharing with us the skill of your scribes hand alongwith your hand of friendship along the way. Thankyou also to Rona Orchard for assisting in this task.

This catalogue has been hugely enhanced by thewords of Matthew Jebb, Director of the NationalBotanic Gardens, Patricia Butler, author and arthistorian and Brendan Sayers, Glasshouse Foremanof the National Botanic Gardens, mentor and dearfriend. We thank you most sincerely for giving us

the bene t of your great expertise by contributingso generously to our publication.

Throughout the project we have called on thehelp of many plants people , local naturalists clubs,amateur botanists and gardeners, all of thempassionate about protecting and conserving ournative species. To those people we say thank you.Our continuing connections and friendships arecentral to the success of this project and ourongoing aspirations to paint and celebrate thebeauty of our natural heritage.

In a special way we would like to thank ZoDevlin and Dieter Star k. Zo came to the rescueof many of us as we searched the highways andbyways for the location of some of our moreelusive species. Having travelled to Kerry in searchof one of our plants, Bainne caoin, Euphorbiahyberna, or Irish spurge, Zo was able to tell me,in the best traditions of giving directions in Ireland,

Ogham stone at Kilmalkedar, an early Christian site, traditionally associated with St. Brendan, on the DinglePeninsula, Co. Kerry.

Mary Dillon sketching her Alphabet plant, bainne caoin,at a roadside in Kerry.

aibtir

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go up the hill out of the village, take a right, thendown the hill towards the sea and just after a bendin the road, youll nd it growing in a bank on theroadside. Sure enough, there it was, glowing in thewarm sunlight of an Ir ish Indian Summer.

Dieter Stark has himself gone above and beyondin the cause of searching for plants for artists livingsome distance from their allotted plants location.His passion for our native plants is evident in hisbeautiful photographs which have added hugely to

the information available to artists when depicting their plants. Dieter, thank you for trudging through the woodlands and bogs of the west of Ireland onour behalf.

Other professionals have added immensely to theoverall success of our project. Dominic Turner ofExhibit A Studios has been responsible for creating

the limited edition prints of our Alphabet pieces.Each is the result of scanning and printing to thehighest industry standards using beautiful museumarchival paper and inks. Thank you Dominic. Thankyou also to KPS for your professionalism in printing

this beautiful catalogue. Thank you to Tom Luptonfor his expertise as Gaeilge.

Beginning this journey, we set our sights high andhoped that we would in some way come near toachieving our goals. Our aims were to celebrate ournative plants. How better than within the context

of our unique Irish Alphabet re ecting the story ofwho we are. We set out to encourage and promoteawareness of our native plant species bringing theirstory to a wider audience. We sought to provide avehicle for the furthering of connections between

the National Botanic Gardens and the edgling IrishSociety of Botanical Artists.

We hoped to encourage artists within theSociety to challenge themselves to reach standardsof excellence in the art form, beyond those theywould have reached for b efore. We aspired to beinclusive, reiterating the mantra to all artists tobe the best you can be. While aiming to inc ludeand show all work completed for the project,we were clear from the start that there wouldbe an adjudication process which would set high

standards of excellence for the Alphabet project. We would like to express our deep appreciation to renowned botanical artist Fiona Strickland, to Peter Murray, Curator, The Crawford Gallery,Cork and again to Matth ew Jebb, Director of theNational Botanic Gardens, for the efforts they putinto ensuring that the best standards were set for

this ambitious project.Aibtir as a project began with enthusiastic artists,

a team of ISBA members willing to facilitate the task of coordinating the project, keen supportersboth in the eld and amongst family and friendsand a plant list, chosen carefully by the NationalBotanic Gardens, to illustrate the variety ofplant forms and habitats on the whole island.Celebrating our native species necessitated rulingout some introduced species from our collection.As coordinator of the Alphabet Team, or as Ihave grown to affectionately refer to us, the ATeam, I would like to personally acknowledge

the tremendous enthusiasm and energy of eachmember of the team along with many otherswho have come to our assistance along th e way.Alex Caccamo, Colette Roberts, Mary McInerney,Yanny Petters, Elizabeth Prendergast, Marie Stamp,Brendan Sayers, Holly Somer ville, Lynn Strin ger,

BELOW: Oonagh Phillips discusses her plant, theinsectivorous species, Pinguicula grandi ora (LEFT) withBrendan Sayers, Glasshouse Foreman at the NationalBotanic Gardens.

Mary Corcoran and Mary McInerney in conversationabout the Alphabet project.


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to begin a getting to know you period with theirplant. We combed elds, hedgerows, woodlands,fens and coastal walks to study and sketch, exploreand examine the plants we had committed to paint.Libraries and bookshelves were trawled throughand brains of botanists and gardeners were picked.Together this wealth of experience and knowledgewould inform the preparatory work of each artist.

Thus began a series of support sessions, facilitatedby the Alphabet Team and given by our twomentors. Susan Sex, one of the foremost Botanicalartists in Ireland today, agreed to be our artisticmentor for the project. Brendan Sayers, co authorof Irelands Wild Orchids with Susan Sex, agreed tobe our plants mentor. No words can adequatelyexpress our deep appreciation for the generosityof spirit shown to us by Susan and Brendan

throughout this project. As artists, we have reaped the bene t of the kind eye and the gentle nudgewe have received from both. Our work will nodoubt re ect these considerate tutorials. Whilewe have learned how to apply a wash of Senneliergrey on a letter or how to mix just the right green

to show a leaf in its truest beauty, how best to tackle a dissection of a fruit or how to approacha magni cation of a plant specimen, more thananything we have learned that true teachers, countnot the hours they have invested, rather, they ndreward in the joy and delight they experience inseeing their edglings soar. Brendan and Susan, our

teachers and friends, thank you.Throughout the growing season of 2013, artists

regularly travelled from all over Ireland and fromoverseas to share their trials and tribulations and

to avail of the support of our mentors, on theAlphabet journey.

OPPOSITE:Artists watch with rapt attention as SusanSex demonstrates methods of laying a tonal wash ofSennelier grey on the Alphabet letters during one of

the numerous support sessions..

THIS PAGE, L TO R : With the Palm House as a back drop,artists Ann Kane, Sally de Bromhead and Marie deLacy proudly display their nished Alphabet paintingson hand-in day.

Fionnuala Broughan, Susan Mosse, Jenny Trigwell,Oonagh Phillips, Siobhn Larkin and last but notleast, Jane Stark, without whose considerable

talents and expertise, this beautiful publicationwould not have been possible.

One of the initial tasks of the Alphabet Team was to decide how best to allocate plants to people.It was decided that the fairest way of achieving

this was by lottery. Names were pulled from a hatbut we did give artists the option of arranging aswap with another artist if plant location proved

too challenging. Revealing plants to artists was metwith great excitement. Artists were encouraged


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Having completed our pieces on extra white,hot-pressed Fabriano paper, within the 30 cmsquare format decided on to depict our plants

to their best advantage, we came together at theclose of the year to hand-in our paintings. Lettinggo of our paintings lled us with mixed emotions.

While some felt relief at having nally reachedcompletion, most had grown to love their plantand their painting and found letting go somewhatbittersweet. Work was now out of our hands andunder the scrutinising eyes of our adjudicators.

While all of this has been happening, as a Societywe have been simultaneously preparing for ourfoundation. As the inaugural exhibition of theIrish Society of Botanical Artists we are verypleased that 59 pieces have successfully passedadjudication. They are displayed h ere in this

ABOVE: Some members of the Alphabet Team whohelped out on hand-in day at the Botanic Gardens:(BACK ROW, L TO R ): Lynn Stringer, Mary Dillon, MarieStamp, Oonagh Phillips, Mary McInerney, ColetteRoberts, (FRONT ROW) Jane Stark, Fionnuala Broughan.

ABOVE RIGHT: Fionnuala Broughan and other A-teammembers keep a record of paintings and preparatorywork as artists hand in their work.

Members of the Alphabet team and the ISBA Committee with NBG Librarian, Alex Caccamo ( SECOND FROM RIGHT),Director of the NBG, Matthew Jebb ( RIGHT) and NBG Glasshouse Foreman, Brendan Sayers ( SECOND FROM LEFT)..

publication and will be unveiled to the public in theNational Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin throughoutMay, in the Playhouse, Derr y, from August 11th

to 25th and in the Belfast Waterfront fromSeptember 2nd to 25th.

Our intention is to create a travelling exhibitionby exploring future opportunities to expand theaudience for Ai btir. To grow and to challengeourselves, artists need dialogue with otherartists and speciali sts. A forum that provides thisopportunity is now here in the Irish Society ofBotanical Artists. The National Botanic Gardens

have agreed to facilitate the Society and speci cally this ambitious project.

Our challenge was to encapsulate in Aibtir, theIrish Alphabet in Botanical Art, the very essence ofour native p lants, their beauty, frailty, strength andintimacy, doing so in a scienti cally truthful manner,married with the rst letter of their Irish name.Aibtir, is both a celebration of our native plantsand a starting point for intrigue and enquiry.

Mary DillonCoordinator of the Alphabet TeamChairperson, Irish Society of Botanical Artists


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bainne caoinMARY DILLON

Achillea millefoliumYarrow

athair thalnSUSAN SEX

Euphorbia hybernaIrish spurge


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Eryngium maritimumSea holly

cuileann tr MARCELLA CAMPBELL

Rubus fruticosusBramble

dris JARNIE GODWIN


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Hedera helixIvy

eidhnenSHEVAUN DOHERTY

Sorbus aria Whiteb eam

fionncholl NOELEEN FRAIN


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Odonites vernusRed bartsia

hocas taeMARIE DE LACY

Rhinanthus minor Yellow rattle

gliogrnLEUEEN HILL


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Calystegia sepiumHedge bindweed

ialus fil ANN KANE

Pinguicula grandi oraGreater butterwort

leith uisceOONAGH PHILLIPS


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Bellis perennisDaisy

ninnMARGARETA PERTL

Anthyllis vulnerar iaKidney vetch

mara muireHOLLY SOMERVILLE


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Meconopsis cambrica Welsh poppy

poipn breatnach JANET BOCKETT

Allium v ineale Wild onion

onninLYNN STRINGER


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Viola reichenbachianaEarly dog-violet

sailchuach luathELIZABETH PRENDERGAST

Geranium robertianumHerb Robert

ruital r CLAUDIA MCMANUS


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Geum rivale Water avens

machall uisceHILARY GILMORE

Sambucus nigraElder

tromSIOBHN LARKIN


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Potentilla anserinaSilverweed

briosclnYANNY PETTERS

Veronica chamaedrysGermander speedwell

anuallachMAURA KEATING


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Neottia ovataCommon twayblade

ddhuilleog JANE STARK

Sorbus aucupariaRowan

caorthannSALLY DE BROMHEAD


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Euonymus europaeusSpindle

feorasBREDA MALONE

Atriplex gabriusculaBabingtons orache

eilifleog chladaighSIOBHN LARKIN


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Parentucellia viscosaYellow bar tsia

hocas tae buANN KANE

Ajuga rep tansBugle

glasair choilleMARY CORCORAN


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Dryas octopetalaMountain avens

leaithnDEBORAH LAMBKIN

Taxus baccataYew

ir FIONNUALA BROUGHAN


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Dactylorhiza fuchsiiCommon spotted orchid

nuacht bhallachCLAIRE WARD

Orobanche hederaeIvy broomrape

mchg JANET COLGAN


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Lathyrus pratensisMeadow vetchling

peasairn buNIAMH SYNNOTT

Succisa pratensisDevils bit scabious

odhrach bhallachHOLLY SOMERVILLE


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Trifolium dubiumLesser trefoil

seamrgYANNY PETTERS

Armeria maritimaThrift

rabhnPAMELA LEONARD


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Myosotis scorpioides Water forg et-me-n ot

ceotharnach uisceLYNN STRINGER

Potentilla fruticosaCinquefoil

tor chigmharachAISLINN ADAMS


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Nymphaea alba Waterli ly

bacn bn JENNY TRIGWELL

Ulex europaeusGorse

aiteann galldaELIZABETH PRENDERGAST


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Adiantum capillus-venerisMaidenhair fern

dchosach JULIE WHELAN

Lotus corniculatusBirds foot trefoil

crobh inRONA ORCHARD


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Iris pseudacorusYellow iris

feileastramTARA LANIGAN-OKEEFFE

Rubus caesiusDewberry

eithreogBETTY CHRISTIE


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Lavatera arboreaTree mallow

hocas ardMARY MCINERNEY

Ficaria vernaLesser celandine

grn arcin JESS SHEPHERD


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Teucrium scordonia Wood sage

ir slibheSUSAN MOSSE

Aster tri poliumSea aster

luibh bhlineNOELEEN FRAIN


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Potentilla erectaTormentil

nalfartachPATRICIA MORRISON

Campanula rotundifoliaHarebell

maracn gormNIAMH HARDING MILLER


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Vicia sepiumBush vetch

peasair fhiinSUSAN SEX

Luzula sylvaticaGreat wood-rush

ollghinach JENNY TRIGWELL


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Fragaria vesca Wild strawber ry

s taln fiinMARGARET WALSH BEST

Rosa arvensisField rose

rs lanaGRANIA LANGRISHE


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Eupatorium cannabinumHemp agrimony

cnib uisceBELINDA NORTHCOTE

Cynoglossum of cinaleHounds tongue

teanga chonRITA OMAHONY


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Daboecia cantabricaSt. Dabeocs heath

fraoch na haon choiseHELEN NOONAN


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Erica tetralixCross-leaved heath

fraoch naoscaANNE MARIE DURCAN

Centaurea scabiosaGreater knapweed

mnscoth mhrNICOLA LYNCH MORRIN


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Lonicera periclymenum Woodbine

tathfithleannMARIE A. STAMP

Sedum anglicumEnglish stonecrop

pirn seangnBARBARA CULLEN

BZOO

T

ZOOLOGISCH-BOTANISCHEGESELLSCHAFT IN STERREICH


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We are most grateful to the following individuals whohave so generously agreed to be patrons of our catalogue.

We are most grateful to the following businesses and organisationsthat have so generously agreed to sponsor our catalogue.

PATRONS

SPONSORS

Yvonne Barry Brendan Burgess Mary CorcoranSally de Bromhead Marie de Lacy Jimmy Deenihan (Department of Arts,

Heritage and Gaeltacht) Anne Marie DurcanColleen Feeley Noeleen FrainHilary and Noel Gilmore

Sarah GuinnessLeueen Hill Ann KaneTony KearnsKevin and Rose Kelly Don Kennedy

Grania LangrisheTara Lanigan-OKeeffeThomas Lupton and Mary DillonBreda MaloneTerry McnameeSusan MosseHelen NoonanRita OMahony Wilma Petters Margareta Pertl Michael and Oonagh Phillips

Elizabeth Prendergast Colette Roberts Mark RussellBrendan SayersDieter and Jane Stark

Belle eld House, Gardens & CottagesBotanical Garden, University of ViennaCharlie Byrnes Bookshop, Galway Oliver Cornet Gallery, DublinHowbert & Mays Gardens, Monkstown MKM Dispute ResolutionNational Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

Of ce of Public WorksRDSRFL Steel Ltd.Tourin House & GardensWicklow Counselling Services Zoological-Botanical Society of Austriaand with nancial support from Irish Museums Trust

Bellefeld House,Gardens & Cottages


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aibítir: the irish alphabet in botanical art catalogue

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