![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/00246770-614.jpg\"\/)
\nS\u00e9amus Dunbar described the piece as ‘a parting gift’ from Brendan McGloin<\/p>\n
Sculptors in the northwest have completed a 3.6m sandstone high cross, inspired by the 10th century Drumcliffe High Cross, that will be transported to George Fox University in Oregon.<\/p>\n
Renowned sculptor Brendan McGloin was commissioned to produce the high cross.<\/p>\n
He died before it was completed in April 2025.<\/p>\n
Fellow sculptors Jackie McKenna, S\u00e9amus Dunbar and Martha Quinn have completed the project at Mr McGloin’s workshop in north Leitrim.<\/p>\n
Later this morning, George Fox University President Robin Baker will travel to Kinlough, Co Leitrim, to view the sandstone high cross before it is shipped to the US.<\/p>\n
\nS\u00e9amus Dunbar described the piece as ‘a parting gift’ from Brendan McGloin<\/p>\n
In a blog post last year, George Fox University, which is named after the founder of the Quaker movement, said Mr McGloin alternated between chemotherapy and working on the piece.<\/p>\n
“He is a true craftsman from the old world. Very few people are capable of carving these intricate images out of raw stone,” the university post said.<\/p>\n
One of Mr McGloin\u2019s best known works was a replica of the Clonmacnoise Cross of the Scripture which was commissioned by the Ancient Order of Hibernians for a famine memorial in Portland in Oregon.<\/p>\n
“He did an absolute fantastic job of it, that cross was the cause for the current commission,” Mr Dunbar said.<\/p>\n
Both Mr Dunbar and Ms McKenna taught Mr McGloin sculpting in Manorhamilton some decades ago.<\/p>\n
Mr Dunbar said: “We put his feet on a path and he took off.<\/p>\n
“He showed a particular interest in Celtic work and old carvings, that defined some of the early part of his career.<\/p>\n
“Brendan suffered from cancer. He kept bouncing back. He had a great zest for life.<\/p>\n
“He really loved surfing. He loved the sea and drew great energy from it.”<\/p>\n
He described the project, which they have been working on for a year, as “a parting gift from Brendan McGloin”.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/00246771-614.jpg\"\/)
\nThe High Cross is based on the proportions of the Drumcliffe Cross<\/p>\n
He said Mr McGloin, who was known nationally, was a great representative abroad of the tradition of stone carving and “not as well-known as he ought to have been.”<\/p>\n
The High Cross, which he started, is based on the proportions of the Drumcliffe Cross, near a 6th Century monastic close to the foot of Benbulbin.<\/p>\n
Mr Dunbar said the cross includes scenes from the Old Testament, the life of Christ, the resurrection, and the crucifixion, as well as Celtic interlacing and ornamentation.<\/p>\n
George Fox University was happy to have Mr Dunbar and Ms McKenna continue the partially completed commission after Mr McGloin died.<\/p>\n
“It was great of his wife to allow us to take on his work and finish it. We really appreciate support of his family in this as well,” Mr Dunbar said.<\/p>\n
“Brendan was married and had his four lovely children. Our loss to us is nothing compared to their loss,” he added.<\/p>\n
The sculptors examined Mr McGloin\u2019s plans and consulted his siblings Francis and Geraldine, a fellow artist, before completing the project.<\/p>\n
Mr Dunbar said: “Our other partner, Martha Quinn, would\u2019ve known Brendan too.<\/p>\n
“It was a privilege to work with Jackie, Martha, Francis and Geraldine in his workshop in Kinlough.<\/p>\n
“His last big commission has been brought to completion.”<\/p>\n
The High Cross will be transported to the US this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sculptors in the northwest have completed a 3.6m sandstone high cross, inspired by the 10th century Drumcliffe High…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":461305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,93,61,60],"class_list":["post-461346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=461346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/461305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=461346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=461346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=461346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}