Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art

On Wednesday 29th November Ambassador O'Neill hosted the National Gallery of Ireland at the Embassy. 130 guests were present to hear about the Gallery's future plans after its recent re-opening following extensive renovations, and for a discussion on the Gallery's current exhibition "Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art".

Ambassador O'Neill welcomed the guests present to the Embassy, including National Gallery of Ireland (NGI) Director Sean Rainbird, senior management of NGI, Frederic Burton exhibition curator Maire Bourke and representatives from a number of cultural institutions in London. The Ambassador spoke about the rich cultural space that Ireland and the UK share, with many Irish artists both living and working between Ireland and UK during their careers. Ambassador O'Neill also spoke of his hope that the current exhibition in the National Gallery of Ireland will be an opportunity to bring Burton back into public consciousness as a hugely influential Irish artistic talent who has significantly contributed to the cultural heritage of Ireland and the UK.

Director of the National Gallery of Ireland Seán Rainbird took the opportunity to introduce the 'new look' National Gallery of Ireland after the completion of an extensive refurbishment this year. Curator of the Frederic Burton exhibition, Maire Bourke, also took the floor to give a comprehensive talk on Burton's life and works.

Listen to a podcast of the discussion: https://soundcloud.com/user-955756589/national-art-gallery