Duleek courthouse is now proving to be an invaluable asset to the village scene
DULEEK Courthouse will host an art exhibition on the June bank holiday weekend , showcasing the work of the artist Simon Coleman, who was born in the village.
The courthouse will be open to the public from Friday to Sunday 1st to 3rd June. Visitors can view the exhibition from 7-9pm on Friday, and from 12-3 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The purpose of the event is to pay tribute to the artist Simon Coleman, who was born in Duleek in 1916 and died in 1995.
“We’re really forward to hosting this exhibition and paying tribute to Simon Coleman”, said Ann Finger of Duleek Courthouse Committee.
“Simon Coleman was a renowned artist and was widely respected during his life. We’re very proud to be showcasing the work of a local artist.”
Simon Coleman was awarded several prestigious commissions early in his career, including ‘ The Council of State’, a painting in the collection of Áras and Uachtaráin.
The painting depicted the first meeting of President Hyde’s Council of State. It was noted at the time that then Taoiseach Eamon De Valera was unhappy with the choice of Coleman.
Coleman also exhibited locally during the 1940s and 1950s at the Drogheda Library, worked as a folklore collector with the Folklore Commission and taught art.
He was a celebrated landscape artist and his work was influenced by his rural upbringing. He was also elected to the Royal Hibernian Academy late in his life.
The exhibition is the latest event to take place in Duleek Courthouse which reopened in 2016, having taken five years to renovate. The courthouse was also used as a library from 1960 until it was closed in the early 2000’s.
It was built in 1838 by John Trotter and designed by Francis Johnston, and was used as a courthouse until 1960. Its best known magistrate was Judge Stephen Trotter who lived in Duleek House.
There are also many weekly activities in the building such as pilates, yoga, chairobics and creative mindfulness, aswell as meetings of Duleek Women’s Forum and Royal Meath Accordian Orchestra.
“The courthouse is a great asset to the village because it’s located right in the centre of the village beside the village green”, said Ann Finger.