Jeanne Rynhart

Jeanne Patricia Rynhart (1946 – 9 June 2020) was an Irish sculptor and creator of the Molly Malone statue.[1][2][3][4][5]

Jeanne Rynhart
Born(1946-03-17)17 March 1946
Dublin, Ireland
Died9 June 2020(2020-06-09) (aged 74)
Schull, Ireland
NationalityIrish
EducationNational College of Art and Design
Known forSculpture

Background

Rynhart was born Jeanne Scuffil in Dublin, to Kathleen Connolly and Frederick Scuffil, a sign writer for Guinness, on 17 March 1946. She was an apprentice to George Collie RHA for 2 years and then attended the National College of Art and Design, graduating in 1969 before moving to Coventry, England where she continued her studies in fine art and set up a studio with sculptor John Letts. She returned to Ireland in 1981, moving to Ballylickey, near Bantry in County Cork, where she established the Rynhart Fine Art gallery and workshop. Rynhart and her husband, Derek Rynhart, had 2 children: a daughter, Audrey, and a son, Barry. [1]

Career

Rynhart created the Molly Malone statue for the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations. The statue was controversial at the time of its unveiling due to the revealing dress the statue wore. Registrar of Aosdána, Adrian Munnelly wrote to the An Bord Fáilte criticising it. The statue was defended by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Ben Briscoe. Rynhart herself wrote in The Irish Times that the clothing and appearance were accurate for women of that era. The statue has since become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Dublin and is fondly regarded by locals.[1][6][4]

Rynhart also sculpted a statue commemorating the original Rose of Tralee, Mary O'Connor, which stands in Tralee Town Park. In 1993, she produced 2 statues in honour of Annie Moore at Cobh Heritage Centre in Cork and Ellis Island in New York City. The Ellis Island statue was dedicated by the then-President of Ireland, Mary Robinson.[7][6]

In 1994, Rynhart's daughter Audrey joined the business. Audrey and her husband, Les Elliott, continue to operate from their studio in Glengarriff, County Cork. [6]

Death

Rynhart died on 9 June 2020, aged 74, in Schull Community Hospital, Cork. She was buried in the Abbey Cemetery, Bantry, and is survived by her husband Derek and their children.[2]

References
  1. Hunt, Conor (9 June 2020). "Molly Malone statue sculptor dies aged 74" – via www.rte.ie. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. https://rip.ie/death-notice/jeanne-patricia-rynhart-bantry-cork/425613
  3. "Irish sculptor who created Dublin's famous Molly Malone statue dies". IrishCentral.com. 11 June 2020.
  4. Harrison, Bernice. "Shining example – An Irishwoman's Diary on the Molly Malone statue and inventing a tradition". The Irish Times.
  5. "Death Of Creator Of Town Park's Rose Of Tralee Statue". 10 June 2020.
  6. O'Brien, Tim. "Irish sculptor Jeanne Rynhart dies aged 74". The Irish Times.
  7. "Unveiling of statue at Town Park". independent.
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