10 Green Things from the NIVAL Collections: A Celebration of Colour for St. Patrick’s Day
Ireland is the only country in the world symbolised by a single colour – green!¹ And what better way to celebrate Ireland’s National Day, St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th), than by diving into a treasure trove of all things green? This year, the NIVAL team has handpicked ten eye-catching green items from the collections.
From vivid designs to intriguing printed materials, these items tell unexpected stories, proving that there are endless ways to explore a collection – by artist, by medium, or, in this case, by colour! So whether you’re an art admirer, design devotee, or colour connoisseur, join us on this vibrant journey through not-quite-40 shades of green.
☘️ Wishing you all a very happy St. Patrick’s Day – Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh go léir!
10. First Definitive Series Stamp, designed by James Ingram
With the establishment of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) in 1922, the newly independent government began a policy of de-Anglicisation. Promotion of Gaelic customs, language, place-names, typography and decoration erased some of the visual evidence of British Rule. Red post-boxes were painted a dark-green, followed by telephone boxes, and dark-green livery changes for buses and trams.
The first postage stamp of the new state was designed and issued in 1922 and remained in circulation until 1968 as a potent symbol of Irish unity and nationhood. It depicted a green and undivided map of Ireland, with the name ÉIRE identifying the country. Stamp design remained richly symbolic, employing well-known nationalist motifs such as the harp, shamrock and Celtic cross.¹
9. Ancestral Patterns II, Sandi Sexton
At first glance, Sandi Sexton’s Ancestral Patterns II appears as a small and simple bound book wrapped in a deep green cloth, but within its covers lies an intricate, sculptural experience. This artist’s book unfolds in a series of black and white images, including a family portrait of the artist’s ancestors, interwoven through an elaborate, hand-constructed form. The book’s dynamic folds and stitched threads evoke the layered nature of memory, genealogy, and heritage, transforming the object into a three-dimensional meditation on ancestry.
As the pages unfurl, they create a tactile and architectural landscape where past and present intersect. Sexton’s work is a testament to how artists’ books can be both visual and experiential, inviting viewers to engage through touch, structure, and storytelling.
8. DART Upholstery Design, Leslie Eastwood
For many Dublin commuters, the green moquette upholstery of the DART is a familiar backdrop to their daily journeys. Fans of this iconic fabric can find the original hand-painted textile design in the Leslie Eastwood Collection at NIVAL. This archive includes early design sketches, fabric samples in various colourways, and production documentation from Shannon Velours, the company responsible for creating the durable, textured material. While multiple variations were proposed, green, of course, was the final choice for the DART, reinforcing Ireland’s strong visual identity in public transport design.
Leslie Eastwood, a key figure in Irish textile design, worked with Max Birr Fabrics before founding Shannon Velours. His company supplied upholstery for major transport networks, and designs can be seen in the collection for CIE, American Seating Company, Dublin Airport, London Underground, and even the Orient Express, among others.
7. St Patrick’s Day Postcard, 1989.
This charming and whimsical St. Patrick’s Day postcard, produced by An Post in 1989, is a delightful example of Irish design for cultural celebration. Featuring a lively, personified shamrock wrapped in a tricolour scarf, the artwork is lighthearted and festive. Behind the final printed postcard lies a meticulous design process, as seen in these original materials from the Post Office/An Post Stamp Design, Print, and Poster Collection.
The layered design sheets reveal how the illustration, typography, and colour choices were refined, down to the Pantone swatch, ensuring a vibrant yet balanced final print. These artefacts offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the intricate process of print production, showcasing the careful layering and adjustments that bring a concept from initial sketch to finished print.
6. First Season 1975 Programme, Irish Theatre Company
This striking programme from the Irish Theatre Company’s 1975 season is a rare glimpse into a fascinating chapter of Irish theatre history. The cover design incorporates decorative interwoven lines in a distinctive Celtic Revival aesthetic. The artwork depicts the legend of The Children of Lir, symbolising transformation and storytelling, fitting for a company dedicated to bringing Irish narratives to life. With theatre ephemera often lost to time, items like this programme provide invaluable insights into Ireland’s stage history, preserving the creative legacies of designers, actors, and directors alike.
The programme is part of the collection of Gerard (Gerry) O’Donovan (1931-2018), a prolific set designer who worked across Ireland’s theatre scene from the early 1950s. His career spanned institutions such as An Damer, Eblana (Busáras) Theatre, the Pike Theatre and Project Arts Centre. He also worked for Modern Display Artists, a design company that mounted all shows in the RDS. He later brought his creative vision to RTÉ as a production designer.
5. Wooden Paint Palettes, Norah O’Kelly
These richly layered paint palettes belonged to the remarkable but often overlooked Irish artist Norah Mary O’Kelly RHA (1886–1964). Speckled with deep greens and earthy tones, they bear traces of O’Kelly’s mastery across multiple disciplines. A student of the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art (now NCAD), she trained under Percy Oswald Reeves, refining a skillset that blended fine craftsmanship with intricate decorative artistry. Her work in enamel, metalwork, stained glass and painting left a quiet but lasting impression on the Irish Arts and Crafts movement, and these palettes offer a tangible glimpse into her creative process.
4. Travel Posters, Guus Melai
Before glossy travel photography, Ireland’s landscapes and cityscapes were sold to the world through the artistry of illustrated posters. The 1950s marked the golden age of this genre, with Aer Lingus commissioning striking visuals to entice visitors. The lush green countryside, so central to Ireland’s identity, featured prominently, from wild Connemara scenes to vibrant cityscapes.
Dutch designer Guus Melai, lured to Dublin by Sun Advertising in 1951, played a key role in shaping these visuals. His Fly to Ireland poster romanticises rural Ireland, while his Dublin cityscape poster reimagines the capital as a quaint, colourful haven, perhaps more inviting to European tourists than the reality of bustling O’Connell Street. These posters crafted an image of Ireland that balanced modernity with timeless charm.
The Irish Posters Collection at NIVAL includes dozens of captivating travel posters, by international and Irish artists, showcasing Ireland’s visual identity in Mid-20th Century tourism.
3. The Language of Trees, Katie Holten
Inspired by forests, trees, leaves, roots, and seeds, The Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape invites readers to discover an unexpected and imaginative language to better read and write the natural world around us and reclaim our relationship with it. In this gorgeously illustrated and deeply thoughtful collection, Katie Holten gifts readers her tree alphabet and uses it to masterfully translate and illuminate beloved lost and new original writing in praise of the natural world. With an introduction from Ross Gay, and featuring writings from over fifty contributors, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Ada Limón, Robert Macfarlane, Zadie Smith, Radiohead, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, James Gleick, Elizabeth Kolbert, Plato, and Robin Wall Kimmerer, Holten illustrates each selection with an abiding love and reverence for the magic of trees. She guides readers on a journey from “primeval atoms” and cave paintings to the death of a 3,500 year-old cypress tree, from Tree Clocks in Mongolia and forest fragments in the Amazon to the language of fossil poetry, unearthing a new way to see the natural beauty all around us and an urgent reminder of what could happen if we allow it to slip away.
The Language of Trees considers our relationship with literature and landscape, resulting in an astonishing fusion of storytelling and art and a deeply beautiful celebration of trees through the ages.²
2. ‘Green’ LIBGuides
When faced with a vast and varied collection like NIVAL’s, knowing where to begin can sometimes present a challenge. That’s where LIBGuides come in. These carefully curated research guides provide an entry point into themes spanning art, culture, society, and more.
In the lead-up to St. Patrick’s Day, it’s also Seachtain na Gaeilge, and Green Week at NCAD, making it the perfect time to dive into LIBGuides such as The Environment, Art and the Irish Language | Ealaín agus an Ghaeilge, and Folklore and Traditional Crafts. These guides help researchers uncover connections between ecological practice, language, and traditional Irish artistry.
One recent addition to NIVAL’s LIBGuides is The Environment, which was developed in conjunction with artist Beatrice O’Connell’s talk, Vines in the Archive. This talk, taking place during Green Week at NIVAL, explores eco-feminism and ecological practices.
If you’re researching Irish environmental art, seeking artistic expressions of the Irish language, or delving into folklore traditions, LIBGuides are a fantastic place to start your green research journey.
Explore NIVAL’s LIBGuides here
More information on Beatrice O’Connell’s talk
1. St. Patrick, John Baker
This photograph of a sculpture of St. Patrick, created by John Baker, comes from the HIBERNIA Collection assembled by Peter Haining. A remarkable example of folk art, the piece captures St. Patrick in a stylised form with green mitre and robes. Holding a staff in one hand and a shamrock in the other, he stands above a collection of snakes, illustrating the famous legend of St. Patrick driving the serpents from Ireland. The work offers a personal and tactile interpretation of Ireland’s patron saint.
John Baker (1905-1998) was born in Co. Clare, the son of a farmer from Crusheen. Baker ran the 20-acre family farm until leaving for England to work on construction sites in the 1960s. He retired back to Clare in the 70s. At the age of 83, John Baker, described as “a playful and fun-loving man with a zest for life”, suddenly began making painted wooden sculptures. Although Baker’s range of tools was not extensive, his skills quickly developed exhibiting the full repertoire of his knowledge as a joiner on building sites. Baker worked every day from 9-5 on his new hobby, assembling a wondrous community of painted wooden figures which populated his yard and garden. His creativity spanned a twelve-year period of old age not usually associated with such productivity. His determined and creative stand against the terrors of retirement, age and criticism, in spite of being poorly equipped as an autodidact, prove that art can spring from the most unlikely sources.
References:
[1]. King, L. and Sisson, E. (2010) Ireland, design and visual culture : negotiating modernity, 1922-1992. Cork: Cork University Press. https://ncadlibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/746606353
[2]. Holten, K. (2023) The language of trees : how trees make our world, change our minds and rewild our lives. London: Elliott & Thompson. https://ncadlibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1378620652