Gabriel Hayes  -  Artist 1909 - 1978.

Born in 1909, she was educated at Dominican College, Eccles Street and later at the College of Art. While still a student, she exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy, a tradition she continued for many years. In the early 1930's, she was commissioned to carve the Stations of the Cross for the Hospice at Harold's Cross and also the Presentation in the Temple for the altar front. These Stations were later moved to St. Jude's Church at Willington, Templeogue. She was awarded the prestigious Taylor Art Scholarship in 1934. After her marriage, she moved to Monkstown, Cork, for several years and then settled near Celbridge, Co. Kildare, where she lived until her death in 1978. When the Irish government built their first state building, Industry and Commerce on Kildare Street, Gabriel carved the 11 stone panels, depicting various industries and two heads, high up at the roofline. Then she carved the Three Graces for the Catering College on Cathal Brugha Street. Two large bronze statues of the Madonna and Child. and the Sacred Heart for Glanworth church in Co Cork followed. She painted a lot of portraits during. her career, but these and the rest of her paintings are all in private collections. In the 1950's, she carved the Ascension on the front of the church in Gurranebraher, Co Cork; a bronze Madonna for the front of the Church in the Black Valley, Co. Kerry; stone Madonna on the front of the church Leixlip, Co. Kildare; the Holy Family in stone for a school in Newbridge, Co Kildare; Luke Wadding [bronze] in Waterford, currently outside the French Church; St Brendan and one of the Stations of the Cross [the rest are paintings by Sean Keating] in the church of St. John in Tralee. Following the death of her husband in 1957. she started carving the Stations of the Cross for Galway Cathedral which took 18 years to complete. These comprise of 28 lifesize figures, cut in stone. Over the years, as well as stone carving, she worked on several wooden statues, [winning the Oireachtais Gold Medal the year before she died]. She painted mostly in oils, but did a few watercolours, she designed and made many linocuts, she also worked in pottery, fabric designs, medals and coins. Gabriel designed the two, one, and the half cent bronze coins for new decimal coinage in 1971, basing them on birds in old Irish manuscripts. She was very happy to think that every Irish person had a sample of her work in his or her pocket.

Public works in Ireland.

Galway City: Life size, carved stone Stations of the Cross in the cathedral. 1958-76

Tralee: St. John's Church. Stone Statue of St. Brendan, 1959, and Christ carrying His Cross, one of the Stations of the Cross in carved stone; the rest are paintings by Sean Keating

Kildare Street, Dublin: The Department of Industry and Commerce. 1942. Eleven stone panels, depicting Irish industry and two large stone head, capstones over the windows at roof level

Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin: College of Catering, 'The Three Graces' 1941. Three stone, life sized women

Harold's Cross, Dublin: Church at the hospice, The Presentation in the Temple on the front of the altar, carved plaster

Merchant's Quay, Dublin: Franciscan Friary, 1955 bronze statue of the Madonna, on the roof

Willington, Templeogue, Co Dublin: Stations of the Cross, St Jude's, in carved plaster, circa 1933

Glanworth, Co Cork: Bronze Statue of the Sacred Heart and another of the Madonna and child, above the two side altars. 1944

Gurranebraher, Cork City: Stone carving on the facade of the Ascension, and the mosaic of Our Lady in the day chapel

Leixlip, Co Kildare: Stone Madonna on the front of the church. 1954

Newbridge, Co. Kildare: Stone Statue of the Holy Family on the front of the school on the Dublin Road

Westport, Co. Mayo: Bronze Madonna on the front facade of the church

Black Valley, Co. Kerry: Bronze Madonna on the front facade of the church

Benburb, Co Armagh: in the grounds of the Servite Priory Stone statue of the Madonna and Child

Waterford City: out side the French Church. Life size bronze statue of Luke Wadding 1957