Liam McCormick, regarded as the “father of modern church architecture in Ireland”, was a giant of Irish architecture throughout the second half of the 20th century and one of only a handful of Irish architects to attract an international reputation. During his long career he built more 30 churches, including three in England.
McCormick was born in Derry in 1916 to a political and seafaring family and grew up in Ulster’s princely county, Donegal. Apart from brief excursions to the outside world, he found no good reason ever to leave the northwest. Its myths and landscapes fired his soul to create some of the most lyrical and most loved modern architecture in Ireland.
From 23rd April the Irish Architectural Archive will hold an exhibition on the work of Liam McCormick. The exhibition will consist of a selection of photographs of McCormick’s most iconic religious and secular works. There will also be interpretative panels detailing his career and a small selection of maquettes and designs by various artists commissioned for the decoration of his churches.
Coinciding with the exhibition will be a publication on the work of Liam McCormick entitled North by Northwest. The book will be an in depth examination of the work of McCormick with contributions by Wallace Clarke, John Hume, Paul Larmour, Tarla MacGabhann, Liam McCormick, Shane O’Toole, Carole Pollard and Joe Tracey. The publication and the exhibition are sponsored by Harcourt Developments and the RIAI.
