Part of our BiblioFiles Series – Wednesday 23 January at 7pm
James Curry will be discussing the Dublin Lockout cartoons of EK or Ernest Kavanagh (1884-1916) next Wednesday 23rd in our Seminar Room. EK was an important cartoonist, yet relatively unknown today. He produced hard-hitting satirical cartoons for labour and nationalist newspapers, and also lent support to the Irish suffrage movement, as you can see from the cartoon below.
Postcard featuring a rather unflattering depiction of John Redmond, M.P. as the Angel of Freedom, reproduced in 1913 from an EK cartoon in the Irish Citizen. NLI ref. EPH A117
If you’re interested – obviously come along to the event! – but there’s also some information about EK on the excellent Irish Comics Wiki, or here’s a brief interview by Padraig Yeates with James Curry about his book on Ernest Kavanagh Artist of the Revolution. James says:
“I think it’s telling that, when Murphy’s lawyer was complaining about the public persecution his client [William Martin Murphy] had to face from Larkin during the Askwith inquiry set up to try and bring an end to the Dublin Lockout, he held up to the courtroom The Irish Worker issue from September 1913 that featured a large front page Kavanagh cartoon of Murphy depicted as a murderous vulture as proof.”
Kavanagh, a non-combatant, was shot dead on the steps of Liberty Hall on 25 April 1916.
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This proved to be a first class talk. James Curry was an engaging and knowledgable speaker and the Question and Answer session at the end, which he nearly forgot to introduce, was one of the livliest and most productive I’ve been at. It even succeeded in idenfying a figure in a Jim Larkin photo which had been a mystery for years.
Curry’s research was mainly done in NLI itself and full marks to them for bringing the public in on the act.
After last night I look forward to reading Curry’s book on this hitherto relatively unknown cartoonist.
Thanks a lot, Pól – hearing great things about this event! This is the book, Artist of the Revolution. If you’re a registered reader with us, we have a copy at call no. 12A 1583…
Have now read the book. An expanded version of the excellent talk (and vice versa)..
I’ve left a review on Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3L912BBQ2AYST/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
and while we’re on the subject of cartoons, one of Felix M Larkins book on the Shemus cartoons here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2VTGCB08V542T/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Happy reading.
Thanks Pól!