Art Exhibition, May 1980 - C. J. Haughey
It was a great coup for the Art teacher, Nicholas Moran as he persuaded the then Taoiseach, Mr.
Charles J. Haughey to open the 7th Annual Students Art Exhibition in the school hall. Mr. Haughey
was by then a recognised patron of the Arts, being responsible for the tax free status on earnings
for artistic endeavours. You can see that Mr. Haughey enjoyed the occasion from his play acting with
the St. Aidan's students - showing the common touch which brought him to national prominence.
Mr. Moran worked as an Art teacher in St. Aidan's for just over 25 years. He was also a well known
set designer for musical societies and drama groups. The Art show was the high point of the year.
Nicholas worked tirelessly to improve the profile of art in St. Aidan's. The tradition continues to
the present day through the inspiration of Art teacher, Ms. Deirdre McQuaid.
Haughey hails a 'wizard'
[Article from National Newspaper, 1980]
A 16-YEAR-OLD electrical "wizard" from Beaumont got the thrill of his life last night when he was
told by the Taoiseach: "Keep it up, you're doing a great, job".
Brendan Hanrahan, of Elm Mount Park, Beaumont, was one of the exhibitors at the St. Aidan's School,
Whitehall annual arts and crafts exhibition, which was opened bv Mr. Haughey.
Brendan, who builds radios and walkie-talkies and aims to be a physicist, was showing Mr. Haughey the
chain he had carved out of a stick of chalk. "It took me seven hours to do it" he said.
Brendan added that he was "overwhelmed" at being singled out by the Taoiseach from among the 300 other
exhibitors, at the 600-pupil school. "My Mum and Dad will be very pleased too,'' he-said. "Perhaps my
mother won't get after me so much now for leaving my electrical gear all over the house."
This is the seventh year that the Exhibition has been held at the school. And 29-year-old Arts
teacher Nicholas Moran, who has been organising the exhibition since it started, described this
year's show "as the most imaginative yet." The exhibition is open this weekend and includes paintings
models and even a fully operating potter's wheel.
Seventeen-year-old sports star Brian Dunne - he recently took 25 seconds off the Irish schools 5000
metre record - presented Mr. Haughey with a painting with which he had won a merit award in a contest
sponsored by Texaco. "I was tbrilled to get the opportunity to present my painting to the
Taoiseach" he said afterwards.
Mr. Haughey told the 500 strong audience: "The Irish have alwavs been a creative people. You are
following in that tradition."
Painting of St. Donagh's Church, Kinsealy is presented to Mr. Haughey.
Photographs from National Paper, 1980.
St Aidan's CBS, Whitehall, Dublin, Ireland