Introduction

As an art historian, I have always been interested in portraiture. My publications since the 1980s attest to this culminating in The Irish Face. Redefining the Irish Portrait published in 2004. Since the late sixteenth century, portraiture in the visual arts in Ireland has been strongly influenced by English and European traditions and it is only really in the last one hundred years that a more Irish-orientated tradition has evolved. It is the aim of ..

Representing the Irish emigrant: humour to pathos?

The nineteenth-century artist, Erskine Nicol (1825–1904) is well known for his anecdotal and humorous paintings of Irish themes. This article analyses one of his larger oils to show that on occasion he attempted a more serious representation of the rural Irish figure which asks for empathy as opposed to ridicule. The focus is on An Irish Emigrant Landing in Liverpool (signed and dated 1871; Scottish National Gallery). A key part of the analysis is an exploration of the relationship between the painting and a published account of a visit to England by the Irish emigrant depicted

Migrating objects: John Henry Foley and empire

This is a chapter in a book entitled, Artists and Migration 1400-1850. Britain, Europe and beyond, edited by Kathrin Wagner, Jessica David and Matej Klemencic, published by Cambridge Scholars Press in 2017. The collection came out of a conference in Liverpool in 2013. My chapter considers the equestrian statue of a Raj military figure James Outram which was erected in central Calcutta in 1874. The essay discusses the incongruity of using western artistic ideals in the context of 19th C India. The conclusion is about the paradox of an Irish-born sculptor contributing to the imperial game

Parliament as theatre: Francis Wheatley's The Irish House of Commons revisited

Examination of a painting produced in Dublin in 1780 of the interior of the Irish House of Commons. Explores the format of the painting and its failure as a large scale work of contemporary history. Concludes that contents of picture is a political and social illusion

The Sherwood Foresters of 1916: memories and memorials

This paper examines the memorialisation of the Sherwood Foresters who fought during the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin. These men, from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the English midlands, suffered the greatest casualties of the British regiments involved in the insurrection, and participated in the firing squads that executed the rebel leaders. Yet the public and artistic memorialising of these English soldiers is not widely known, and this interdisciplinary paper seeks to tell the unfamiliar story of what happened to the Sherwood Foresters after the fighting of Easter Week ceased. We use archival material in order to explore how, at the time of the Rising, these men believed that they would be remembered. We examine the way that the Sherwood Foresters of Easter Week subsequently appeared in literature and drama. And we analyse the way that those soldiers have been commemorated in funerary memorials

Facilitating smart HACCP strategies with Process Analytical Technology

The critical feature to any food management system, be it safety or quality focused, is timely and accurate product and process data. The HACCP framework is one of a systematic preventive approach that addresses hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. The PAT initiative is a framework which also aims to change product assurance from end-product testing to preventive control through timely measurements of critical product and process parameters. The continued emergence of sensitive yet affordable sensors capable of direct measurement of biological, chemical and physical risks associated with foods during production, processing or over their shelf-life undoubtedly will support a higher temporal and spatial profiling of foods

Elemental analysis of fish feed by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

In this study, the potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as an efficient multi-elemental quantification tool for fish feed is determined. A particular focus of this paper is total chromium, an essential element that has the potential to be toxic and carcinogenic. In total six elements, four macro-elements (Ca, Fe, K and Mg) and two micro-elements (Cr and Rb), were modelled using LIBS spectra of aquafeed samples. Reference analysis was conducted via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and showed good agreement with LIBS predictions. These results provide evidence that LIBS has the potential to be utilized in the field as a real-time screening tool for establishing the elemental composition of a range of fish feeds

FNQ Connect: Connecting people, connecting care. A proposal for reform of disability, rehabilitation and lifestyle services for children, young people, adults and older people of FNQ

[Extract] FNQ Connect was created in response to a groundswell of interest and concern from FNQ people with lived experience of disability, their families and communities, together with stakeholders responsible for supporting them. They expressed an urgent need for service reform: current supply of services is outweighed by needs and is well below national standards; inaccuracies in national data conceal these inequities. Existing government, non-government and private services are largely fragmented; opportunities created by NDIS have added another layer of fragmentation. At the same time, demand for services is relentlessly increasing. To ensure quitable investment in services and continuity of care for the people of FNQ, accurate data and integration of services, were required

Parliament as theatre: Francis Wheatley's The Irish House of Commons revisited

Examination of a painting produced in Dublin in 1780 of the interior of the Irish House of Commons. Explores the format of the painting and its failure as a large scale work of contemporary history. Concludes that contents of picture is a political and social illusion