Patrick McElroy (1923-2008) King Sitric Enamel and copper, 18 x 14cm (7 x 5.5'') Signed and dated, also dated 1982 verso Patrick McElroy (1923-2008) Patrick McElroy was born in Inchicore, Dublin...

Patrick McElroy (1923-2008) King Sitric Enamel and copper, 18 x 14cm (7 x 5.5'') Signed and dated, also dated 1982 verso Patrick McElroy (1923-2008) Patrick McElroy was born in Inchicore, Dublin on October 15th 1923 into a family of Republican and social activists. Shortly after winning a scholarship to one of the newly established VEC Schools he had to leave at the age of 15 in order to support his mother and younger siblings after his father suddenly died. Following a long family tradition he became a blacksmith in the railway works at Inchicore. Named after his uncle Paddy who fought on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, McElroy joined the RAF during the Second World War seeing active service in the deserts of Egypt, Iran and Iraq. In 1948 McElroy returned to work in CIE and began studying Fine Art at the National College of Art at night. He studied under Werner Schurman who upon his resignation from the college recommended McElroy for the post of teacher of enamelling and fine art metal work, a position McElroy held until his retirement in 1988. McElroy was a successful practicing sculptor winning numerous public and church commissions. From 1954 to his death on February 11th 2008 McElroy exhibited at nearly all of the major annual art exhibitions. He was Chairperson of the Independent Artists and was one of the founder members of the Project Art Gallery. In 1976 Brian Fallon wrote that McElroy was ''one of the country's better sculptors'' noting that McElroy had ''the imagination to back up his obvious skill and he has kept up a remarkably sound level for a longish period''. Fallon went on to comment that McElroy's skill and long career has led to a situation where ''to be taken for granted can be as bad as being ignored''. Throughout the years McElroy sold regularly yet very few sculptures have been resold at auction. McElroy won the gold medal for metal enamelling at the International Biennale of Sacred Art Salzburg in 1960 and his work can be seen all over Ireland in churches including the Basilicas of Knock and Lough Derg. In 1964 McElroy was commissioned to make the decorative gates and sculpture for the Irish Pavilion at the New York World's Fair. Whilst in NCAD Sean Keating had taught McElroy and in the book ''NCAD 250 Drawings 1746-1996'' it is observed that McElroy's style draws on the vigour of Keating and the late Cubist manner of Jellett and Hone. In 1982 James White wrote in the catalogue accompanying McElroy's one man show at the Taylor Gallery that ''the daring of McElroy's invention is sometimes breathtaking''. White went on to note that McElroy had a ''remarkable range of skills in the handling of metals of all kinds'' commenting also on McElroy's ''Joycean preoccupation with certain essentials common to humanity''. Public sculptures such as the pillar in Newry called ''A Proud People'' and the ''Knight of St. John'' in Kilmainham, both commissioned in the 1990s, demonstrate this ability and display McElroy's knowledge and passion for everyday life, history and tradition. Sculpture by McElroy is well represented in many public and private collections, such as the Gordon Lambert Collection, the National Self-Portrait Gallery and Galway University. In 1968 McElroy was specially commissioned by Edgar Gemmell of Princetown University to create a sculpture on the theme of ''Prometheus''. As he got older McElroy returned to his first love that of painting, drawing and print-making and never ceased to work. Adam's are delighted to offer the following lots from McElroy's studio.

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