(c) 2016 Mount Merrion Historical Society
8.00pm, Thursday 6th February, 2025
Fitzwilliam Rooms
Mount Merrion Community Centre
Fitzwilliam Rooms
Mount Merrion Community Centre
Finding Margaret Allen
Presented by
Dr Derville Murphy
Dr Derville Murphy
Dr Derville Murphy, B Arch DIT, M. Phil. TCD, PhD UCD, practiced as an architect for many years before completing a M.Phil. in the history of Irish art and architecture in TCD, then in 2015 she was awarded a PhD in art and architectural theory in UCD. She has had articles published in several respected journals such as the Irish Art Review, Architecture Ireland, The Royal Irish Academy’s Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks, History Ireland, and the academic press, Taylor and Francis. Murphy has also presented talks on Margaret Allen at Dublin Castle as part of the Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger exhibition 2018, and to the Friends of the RHA in 2024
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Murphy is also a published author of historical fiction, 2020 The Art Collector’s Daughter, 2020; If Only She Knew, 2021 and A perfect Copy, 2022 all published by Poolbeg Press.
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Murphy is also a published author of historical fiction, 2020 The Art Collector’s Daughter, 2020; If Only She Knew, 2021 and A perfect Copy, 2022 all published by Poolbeg Press.
Margaret Allen (1832 - 1914)
was elected the first female honorary member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1878, twelve years before Sarah Purser earned the privilege. What is unusual about her is that during an age when women were not encouraged to hold opinions, Margaret Allen’s paintings provided outspoken social and political commentaries of the time. What is less known about her is that she was also one of Dublin’s earliest female commercial photographers. Derville Murphy will tell the story of her research into Margaret Allen’s life and the creative path that led her to uncover the almost forgotten story of this fascinating woman.
was elected the first female honorary member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1878, twelve years before Sarah Purser earned the privilege. What is unusual about her is that during an age when women were not encouraged to hold opinions, Margaret Allen’s paintings provided outspoken social and political commentaries of the time. What is less known about her is that she was also one of Dublin’s earliest female commercial photographers. Derville Murphy will tell the story of her research into Margaret Allen’s life and the creative path that led her to uncover the almost forgotten story of this fascinating woman.
Using images of Allen’s paintings and photographs, Derville will show how she used writing historical fiction, and creating artworks herself to understand the artist, and how this creative research enhanced traditional ways of researching to provide a greater understanding of Margaret Allen’s life and works.
Margaret Allen HRHA (1832-1914)
The Last Hour in the Old Land, 1876
Image courtesy Gorry Gallery
The Last Hour in the Old Land, 1876
Image courtesy Gorry Gallery