In 2024, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral hosted local artist Orla O’Byrne as their artist in residence, where she most notably worked on the William Burges Maquette Conservation Project.

A maquette is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture or work of architecture used to help visualise the final idea. Historically, maquettes are destroyed by their makers, or sold to different art collectors, often across the continent. The near complete collection at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral is a rarity, and conserving the maquettes has been at the centre of Orla’s work for the past 12 months.

Orla has expressed her gratitude for her year spent as artist in residence the Cathedral:

It has been so exciting, fruitful and at times all-consuming and it’s hard to believe it’s only been 12 months. I am delighted to continue working on the William Burges maquette conservation project into the coming year. 

In particular, I am sincerely grateful to the Very Rev’d Nigel Dunne for his sustained support and interest in the arts and for generously allowing me access to the archival materials upon which much of my PhD research is based.

2025 will see Orla working on a programme of arts events for the cathedral as well as continuing her research in the archive and coordinating the ongoing Burges maquette conservation project.