Born: 1874, Ireland
Died: 30 April 1939
Country most active: Ireland
Also known as: Lilly Lynch, Bridget Mary Lynch
This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Bridget Hourican. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Lynch, Mary Concepta (1874–1939), artist and Dominican nun, was born Lilly Lynch in Dublin, daughter of Thomas Joseph Lynch, a renowned Dublin illuminator who had a studio in Middle Abbey St. and later at 31 Grafton St.; nothing is known of her mother. Her father was at the forefront of the late-nineteenth-century renaissance in Celtic illumination, and in 1880 illuminated an eleven-page vellum address which was presented to John Henry (Cardinal) Newman and called ‘the most complete and perfect renovation of ancient Irish skill’ (Limerick Reporter and Tipperary Vindicator, 16 April 1880). He taught his daughter calligraphy and illumination so well that when he died (1889) she left her school at the Dominican convent, Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), and took over his studio, which under her direction continued to flourish. However, on 3 July 1896 she entered the Dominican Order at St Mary’s convent, where she had been educated. Taking the name of Sr Mary Concepta, she taught art, illustrated the school magazine, and was involved with musical activities. Her musical talent was considerable and she wrote hymns, especially in praise of St Teresa of Lisieux, the ‘Little Flower’, to whom she was one of the first devotees in Ireland.
After the first world war a small oratory to the Sacred Heart was built by the order in 1919 in the grounds of St Mary’s convent, Dún Laoghaire, to commemorate the peace. The following year Sr Concepta began her life’s work of decorating the interior. The project was partly financed by her cousin Seán Glenville and his wife, the actress Dorothy Ward, who held benefit concerts in Liverpool and elsewhere to raise funds. Sr Concepta worked until 1936, when illness forced her to retire.
Her achievement was remarkable: the bare, austere oratory walls were transformed with a profusion of Celtic colours, shapes, and designs. Some motifs she copied from ancient manuscripts, others were of her own invention and were strikingly original. Etienne Rynne wrote: ‘her work is ever mouvementé, vibrant with life; her birds squawk, bite and even dance, her serpents wriggle and knot themselves, as do her quadrupeds’ (Rynne, 8). She conceived of her work as a whole; though it is complex, intricate, and elaborate, it is harmonious. This she achieved through her practice of using stencils, which allowed for duplication and reverse-duplication of details so that panels are reflected on opposite walls, providing a strong sense of balance. Harry Clarke provided the seven stained-glass windows, under her direction. As he was still young, they are not outstanding instances of his work but manage to complement her art.
In 1936 arthritis forced her to stop work, leaving the ceiling and part of a wall undone. Three years later she died (30 April 1939), and was buried in the convent cemetery. Other instances of her work included illuminated addresses, now in the NGI, an illuminated fire screen, and linen rolls.
The cement floor of the oratory was worked over in parquet by Sr Mary Theodora in 1958, following the specifications of Etienne Rynne. The Dominican order brought out the illustrated A shrine of Celtic art (1977) and a study guide entitled The Lynch method of Celtic illumination (1986). In 1996 the Department of Arts, Culture, and the Gaeltacht gave £150,000 to renovate the oratory, which was later opened to the public.