History
The Harp and Lion is located at number 44 Church Street, Listowel. The building takes its name from the decorative plasterwork on the facade, the work of local builder, plasterer and craftsman Pat McAuliffe (1846 – 1921) whose work can be seen on many buildings in Listowel and Abbeyfeale. The Harp and Lion was Pat McAuliffe’s last major work, completed c.1914.
In his essay ‘The Stuccowork of Pat McAuliffe of Listowel’, Sean Lynch writes:
“The composition on the first floor consists of this lion upon an entablature, surmounting the harp beneath. The lion gazes out towards the street, indeed seemingly protective of the emblem of Ireland. This arrangement is enclosed by scrolled mouldings, with Latin, French and Irish slogans; ‘SPES MEA IN DEO’ (In God we trust), ‘Maison de Ville’ (House of the town) and ‘Erin go Brath’ (Ireland forever). The shield is completed with rendered heads at each end of the entablature and zoomorphic motifs clutching onto shamrocks around the harp.
pilasters at each side of the pubfront consist of symmetrical strap work patterns, above capitals that each feature incised plaster impressions of a songbird. Consoles jut forward, each embellished with arabesque decoration. The original cresting above the cornice has since disappeared, as over time metal armatures encased in the plaster have oxidized and expanded, splitting and cracking the plaster around it. In the late 1960s a renovation job was required after such difficulties was encountered. A delicate skeletal-pattern infill was replaced by a more pronounced arrangement of harped motifs and round-headed dividing blocks, fabricated in metal. As regards the fascia board, ‘P.M. KEANE’ lettering disappeared during an ownership change in the 1980s, along with the destruction of arrow motifs at either side. The loss of all this detail is very unfortunate, considering it’s vibrant Celtic-Byzantine and Art Nouveau-led styling.” (Published by Siamsa Tire and Sean Lynch as part of a solo exhibition by Sean Lynch at The Gallery, Siamsa Tire, Tralee, Co Kerry November 2008 – January 2009).
We are very conscious of our responsibility to maintain and preserve Pat McAuliffe’s work for the enjoyment of future generations. With support from the Conservation Department, Kerry County Council along with Heritage Ireland we have comissioned extensive conservation work to the structure of McAuliffe’s work.
The Chute family of painters and signwriters has long been associated with the upkeep of Pat McAuliffe’s work locally. Once the conservation work was complete, Francis Chute brought the building back to life with a fresh coat of paint, bringing out the detail of McAuliffe’s impressive work. The talented signwriter Martin Chute designed and painted our beautiful sign, incorporating a painted representation of the long lost arrow motifs.
The full text of ‘The Stuccowork of Pat McAuliffe of Listowel’ by Sean Lynch can be found at seanlynchinfo.com/assets/sean-lynch-the-stuccowork-of-pat-mcauliffe-2008
