Annual Report 2005 - The Office of Public Works

Internal Audit
Internal Audit carried out audits of all Business Units and Support Services in 2005. These
audits examined the risk assessments produced by these units as well as compliance
matters.
The Audit Committee oversees the operation of the internal audit function in the Office
and two of its three members, including the Chair, are external members.
Art Management Office
The OPW Art Management Office had a very busy year during 2005 with increasing
demand from many sources for advice and assistance. Many original prints, paintings and
some sculptures were purchased and commissioned under the Government's Per Cent for
Art Scheme on a regular basis throughout the year as monies became available for new
buildings and refurbishments in the public sector. This necessitated many visits to art
galleries, art exhibitions, auctions and artists studios in Dublin and elsewhere. In addition,
much advice and assistance was given by staff of the Art Management Office to
undergraduate and post-graduate students researching modern Irish Art as subjects for
theses and books.
Also, the Art of the State 2005 exhibition titled 'Across Boundaries' was prepared in cooperation
with the Department of Finance and Personnel of Northern Ireland and toured
to seven venues, north and south, during the year, including heritage venues Rathfarnham
Castle, Emo Court and Fota House (to salute Cork's Year of Culture) as well as
Downpatrick, Strabane, Wexford and Belfast. As usual, a fully illustrated catalogue
accompanied the exhibition of recent purchases which were viewed and well received by
some thousands of the interested public.
In addition, considerable assistance was given to the preparation and installation of the
Comerford Collection of Irish and English Portrait Miniatures of the 17th, 18th and 19th
centuries in Kilkenny Castle during the spring. This outstanding group of four hundred
miniature masterpieces is on long-term loan to the nation from private collectors John and
Pauline Comerford. The exhibition was formally opened by OPW Chairman Seán Benton
in March and afterwards went on view to the general public. Dr. Paul Caffrey of NCAD
gave a most interesting public lecture on the collection later in the year. About this time,
also, works of art were acquired for EU Commissioner Charles McCreevy who paid a
special visit to OPW to select suitable items for his Brussels office. Paintings and sculpture
were also acquired and installed in the refurbished offices of the Revenue Commissioners
in Dublin Castle in July.
For St. Patrick's Day Art Adviser Pat Murphy was invited to St. John's, Newfoundland
where he delivered an illustrated lecture titled 'An Overview of Painting, Sculpture and
Architecture in 20th century Ireland' to a large audience. Later in the year he travelled to
Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi at the invitation of the Pakistan Government to advise on
contemporary Pakistani art and to participate in the organisation of overseas exhibitions.
Public lectures were also given at the National Gallery of Ireland, the OPW Atrium and
Farmleigh on art subjects during the year. Assistance was given by the Art Management
Office in the spring to the Glebe Gallery in Donegal and some works of art were lent to an
exhibition curated by Adrian Kelly on the theme of Time which afterwards travelled to the
new Farmleigh Gallery, and which was formally opened by An Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern,
T.D.
73