As we prepare for our upcoming Capital Redevelopment Transforming Crawford Art Gallery, we have started to decant over 3,500 works of the National Collection housed at Crawford Art Gallery. These works will be moved to secure storage, and to other institutions for Touring and Sharing. One work which was safely removed from the Gallery was our iconic Lonradh window. Created by artist James Scanlon, Lonradh was commissioned by the Friends of Crawford Art Gallery in 1993 and had been catching the morning light on our Grand Staircase for 30 years.

The individual glass panels are made from 2.4 millimetre laminated glass which has plastic in the middle to help reinforce the structure of the glass and prevent cracking during its lifespan.

James Scanlon, Lonradh, (detail) 1993, stained-glass installation, 275 x 130 cm. Presented, Friends of the Crawford Art Gallery, 1993. © the artist

The process begins with scaffolding carefully erected along the staircase, providing secure access for the removal of the stained glass panels. This setup ensures that each panel can be safely handled and passed down to ground level with ease.

Image: Ellie O’Byrne

Next, the timber stops between the glass are removed. The panels are then carefully extracted, and the tacks are reinstalled.

Image: Ellie O’Byrne

Image: Ellie O’Byrne

The panels are carefully wrapped and placed in a secure crate, where they will remain for the duration of the Gallery’s closure.

To learn more about the removal of the Lonradh window from the artist James Scanlon, watch this short video: