BROTHER JOSEPH MCNALLY
Brother Sean Joseph McNally (b. 1923, Ballintubber, Ireland - d. 27 August 2002,
County Mayo, Ireland), nicknamed Brother Joe, a brother from the Catholic La
Salle Christian Brotherhood who had dedicated 37 years of his life to teaching
in Singapore and Malaysia. He later gained renown as a sculptor and artist and
was also the founder and President Emeritus of the La Salle-SIA College of the
Arts.
Early life
Brother Joseph's ancestors were Welshmen who had migrated to West Ireland along
with the Normans in 1190. His surname, McNally, can be interpreted either as
"son of Nally", after the first McNally ancestor, Nally Baret, who settled down
in Ballintubber; or "son of the Ulster man" meaning "son of the poet".
Born in Ballintubber (Gaelic name meaning "fountain or well of St Patrick"),
Ireland, in 1923, Brother Joseph grew up on a farm on the West Coast, in the
County Mayo. This farming community, with its roots in ancient history and a
harsh glacial-stripped landscape, would shape Brother Joseph's artistic vision
in adulthood. Although he was a sickly child, Brother Joseph was well-sheltered
and cared for by his family. His first attempt at art was a caricature drawing
of a village resident, which was received with appreciative laughter. At the age
of 14, he left his hometown to join the La Salle Brothers, the path of a
religious educator rather than that of the priesthood.
Teaching first at De La Salle College, Mallow, Ireland then moving to St.
Joseph's Institution, in Singapore, Brother Joseph continued to teach at St.
John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur, before returning to Ireland to pursue
further studies at the Irish National College of Art, Dublin. Upon graduating,
he taught at St. Paul's Institution in Seremban, Malaysia (1955), moving on to
teach at St. Xavier's Institution in Penang in 1957. He was appointed as a staff
member of St. Joseph's Training College in 1958 and eventually become the
Principal of St. John's Institution in 1963. He also took up Malaysian
citizenship in 1965.
In 1973, Brother Joseph joined St. Patrick's as a teacher and became its
principal in 1975. He implemented many radical changes during his stint at St.
Patrick's, such as the eradication of all forms of corporal punishment, the
setting up of a Student's Council and also a student's Parliament where elected
students were allowed to make changes to the school rules, in keeping with the
mission and motto of the school. He also contributed greatly in many areas to
the school's development with the building up of the school's facilities such as
a sports complex and a hostel. In addition, Brother Joseph formed The Patrician
Society, where parents, teachers and old boys could come together for school
discussions and programmes and also permitted the teaching of religions other
than the Christian faith, such as Buddhism and Hinduism.
He remained Principal for eight years before retiring from this position in
1983. Subsequently, he stayed on to head the St. Patrick's Arts Centre in 1984,
that later expanded to became the existing La Salle-SIA College of the Arts,
focusing on developing and nurturing creativity in the visual and performing
arts. He became a Singapore citizen in 1985. He retired as President Emeritus in
1997 but remained active in both the education and art circles. Some of his
students eventually became well-known principals, including Rudy Mosbergen
(Raffles Junior College), Eugene Wijeysingha (Temasek Junior College and RI) and
Bernard Fong (Hwa Chong Junior College).
Brother Joseph was also a highly regarded sculptor, having created over 200
works (sculptures and paintings) in his lifetime, using a diverse range of
materials such as wood, bronze, glass and metal. His sculptures are an ingenious
blend of both the East and the West, centring on the themes of humanity and
nature and are strongly influenced by Celtic mythology incorporating the human
figure, symbol and cultural values from Southeast Asia. Many of his sculptures
were created out of thousand-year-old oaks from peat bogs that were shipped to
Singapore recovered during his bi-annual vacations in Ireland.
Brother Joseph died at the age of 79 as a result of a heart attack, while
visiting his hometown on 27 August 2002.
Education
1937 - 1939 : studied at De La Salle Retreat, Castletown, Ireland.
1939 - 1940 : Novitiate: De La Salle Retreat, Castletown, Ireland.
1940 - 1943 : Scholasticate: De La Salle College, Mallow, Ireland. Here he
studied art along with other subjects for six years. He garnered the first prize
in an art competition.
1951 - 1954 : Irish National College of Art: A.N.C.A.
1960 - 1961 : Studied in Rome, Italy.
1968 - 1969 : M.A. (Art and Education), Columbia University, New York.
1972 : Doctor of Education, Columbia University, New York.
Career
His initial dream was to do missionary work in China. However, in 1946, Brother
Joseph was sent to Singapore instead and started his teaching career at St.
Joseph's Institution at the youthful age of 23. This was to start a long career
in Malaya, culminating with him taking up Malaysian citizenship in 1965.
1943 : Taught at De La Salle College, Mallow, Ireland.
1946 : Taught at St Joseph's Institution, Singapore.
1948 : Final profession as member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
1951 : Taught at St John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur.
1951 - 1954 : Pursued further studies at the Irish National College of Art,
Dublin.
1955 : Taught at St Paul's Institution, Seremban, Malaysia.
1957 : Taught at St Xavier's Institution, Penang.
1958 : Appointed as a staff member of St Joseph's Training College.
1962 : Vice-Principal, St John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur.
1963 : Principal, St John's Institution; Secretary of the Conference of Heads of
Secondary Schools, Malaysia; Secretary of the Malaysian Guild of Catholic
Schools; Member of the Malaysian Christian Schools Council; Member of the Boards
of Governors of St Paul's Seremban, St Francis Malacca, St Andre's Muar, La
Salle Petaling Jaya, La Salle Klang and of 10 Primary Schools.
1965 : Became a Malaysian citizen.
1966 : Appointed to the District Council of the Brothers.
1967 : Delegate to the General Chapter of the Brothers in Rome.
1971 : Taught at St Joseph's Training College, Penang.
1973 : Taught at St Patrick's School.
1975 : Principal of St Patrick's School.
1978 : Represented Singapore at the first conference of Asian Christian Artists
in Bali.
1979 : Represented Singapore at College of Education Conference in Perth,
Australia; Appointed Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Education Administration
Society.
1980 : Appointed as a foundation member of the Singapore Schools Council and as
a member of the Ho Kah Leong Art Review Committee.
1981 : Helped to organise and contributed to the first exhibition in Singapore
of Asian Christian Art.
1982 : Retired as Principal of St Patrick's School. Appointed to develop the St
Patrick's Arts Centre. Appointed consultant to the Ministry of Education,
Singapore. Helped revise the Art syllabus at all levels and appointed to
negotiate the adoption by the Cambridge Examinations Syndicate.
1983 : Designed the trophy of the UOB Painting of the year; Set up St Patrick's
Art Centre; appointed as a member of the Visual Arts Advisory Committee of the
Ministry of Culture; Appointed as consultant to the Ministry of Education on the
Art Elective Programme.
1984 : Appointed to the Design Committee of the Trade Development Board;
appointed as a panel member of the Sculpture Workshop of the Ministry of Culture
conducted at St Patrick's. Appointed as member of the selection panel for
teachers of the Art Elective Programme, London.
1985 : Appointed as Chairman of the Visual Arts Advisory Committee of the
Ministry of Community Development. Became a Singaporean citizen. Panel member of
the second Sculpture Workshop organised by the Ministry of Community
Development. Participated in the Fukuoka 2nd exhibition.
1986 : Appointed as consultant to the Ministry of Education STEP Programme. Name
of the art school change to La Salle. Personal title changed to President.
1987 : Appointed as consultant to the Curriculum Development Institute (Art
resource books).
1988 : Appointed to the Committee on Visual Arts
1989 : Represented Singapore at the ASEAN Sculpture Square Symposium in Manila,
Philippines. Member of Sub-Committee on Land Use and Quality of life under long
Term National Development Committee.
1990 : On the selection committee to choose the best artworks for MRT stations.
Member of the National Souvenir Design Competition organised by Singapore
Science Centre. Head of a Study Team for a Merlion Project at Sentosa.
Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Heritage Society.
1991 : Member of Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI) Singapore
Foundation Awards Advisory Board.
1991 : Chairman of the Creative Taskforce on the Visual Arts hosted by the
Economic Development Board.
1991 : Member, Coin Advisory Committee hosted by the Board of Currencies.
1991 : Member, the Singapore National Arts Council.
1991 : Member, the Lee Kong Chian Art Museum Committee, NUS.
1992 : Member, the Hospital Management Board of Mt Alvernia Hospital.
1993 : Secured a funding of $15m from Singapore Airlines and changed the name of
the college to La Salle-SIA.
1997 : Retired as President Emeritus of La Salle-SIA College of the Arts.
Exhibitions
1948 : Singapore Art Society exhibition.
1954 : First one-man show at Brown Thomas, Dublin.
1957 : Penang Art Society exhibition.
1969 : One-man exhibition of Painting and Sculpture at Teachers' college,
Columbia University, New York; One-man exhibition of Painting and Sculpture in
Bermuda; Group exhibition with Abdul Latiff Mohidin and Foo Hong Tatt in Madison
Avenue, New York.
1970 : One-man exhibition of Painting and Sculpture at Crypt Gallery, Columbia
University, New York and a one-man exhibition at Castletown, Ireland.
1976 : Exhibited at the opening of the National Museum Art Gallery.
1980 : Participated in the Fukuoka 1st exhibition.
1981 : Singapore of Asian Christian Art exhibition.
1982 : One-man sculpture exhibition in Galway, Ireland.
1985 : Participated in the Fukuoka 2nd Exhibition.
1991 : Exhibited at Della Butcher Gallery with Multi Media Master of La Salle.
1994 : Group exhibition at the opening of the Atrium Gallery, Singapore.
1994 : A Terrible Beauty, Sculptures exhibition at La Salle-SIA College.
1996 : A Flash of Lightning, Sculptures exhibition at La Salle-SIA College.
Awards
1946 : First Prize for Painting, Festival of Limerick, Ireland.
1990 : Singapore National Day Award (Public Service Medal).
1994 : Honorary Doctor of Arts, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,
Australia.
1995 : Honorary Doctor of Laws, National University of Ireland.
1996 : Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.
1997 : La Salle-SIA Medallion Award; Singapore National Day Meritorious Service
Medal.
1998 : Montblanc de la Culture Award.
Family
Father: Thomas McNally, was of Welsh origin.
Mother: Brigitte, came from Mannion ancestry in the pre-Celtic times.
Siblings: Two older brothers, James and Aiden and two sisters, Brigitte and
Theresa.
Author
Sharon Teng
References
Nayar, P. (2002, August 31). Moving on, with passion. Business Times, Executive
Arts, p.15.
Pates, I. (1986 December 16). A study of Ireland. The Straits Times, Section
Two, Décor and Design, p. 3.
Ranganayaki, R. (1995 January 17). Artist sculpts a message of love and caring
for Woodbridge. The Straits Times, Arts, p.13.
Shekaran, K. (1992 November 8). Nature's inspiration. The Sunday Times, Sunday
Plus, p.4.
Suhaila S. (2002, September 1). McNallys mark.The Straits Times, p. 34.
Tan, J. (1984 June 12). Bold, open and expressive. The Straits Times, Section
Two, Outlook, p. 2.
WJLA/NewsChannel 8. (n.d.). Brother McNally. Retrieved January 12, 2005, from
www.wjla.com/externalwebsite.hrb?website=http://www.bromcnally.com.sg
McNally, J. (1999). Biographical details of Brother Joseph McNally.
Further Readings
McNally, J. (2003). Brother Joseph McNally : an invitation to nature: 26 March
to 20 April 2003, Atrium of the Office of Public Works, Dublin. Singapore:
National Arts Council and National Heritage Board.
(Call no.: RSING 730.95957 MAC).
Tan, B. T. (1998). Wind of the spirit: A retrospective exhibition of Brother
Joseph McNally. Singapore: National Arts Council & National Heritage Board.
(Call no. RSING 730.95957 MAC)
13 May 2004
Media Release
PROJECT TO HONOUR BROTHER JOSEPH MCNALLY –
INSTALLATION OF SCULPTURE IN IRELAND
Brother Joseph McNally passed away in Ireland when he was visiting his hometown
in County Mayo on 27 August 2002. Though born in Ireland, he came to Singapore
in 1945 and dedicated his life to education, the arts and the promotion of
religious harmony.
In 2003, a posthumous exhibition of Brother Joseph McNally’s works was held in
Dublin, Ireland. Minister of Trade and Industry George Yeo, and the Chairman of
National Arts Council Liu Thai Ker participated in the exhibition curated by the
Singapore Art Museum. Minister Yeo mentioned then that to thank the Irish people
for giving Brother McNally to Singapore and to honour him for his contributions
to us, Singapore would present and erect a sculpture by him in Ireland.
The sculpture to be presented is entitled Counsellor II, which is a depiction of
a stylised educator-figure gazing kindly upon a child. It will be a scaled-up
version of an existing sculpture of the same title. The sculpture will be
erected on the grounds of the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, in
County Mayo. The Museum is located near Balintubber, the home town of Brother
McNally. The sculpture will be unveiled in September 2004.
A Committee chaired by Professor Tommy Koh, Chairman of the National Heritage
Board has been set up for the project. The committee comprises individuals from
key institutions which Brother McNally had worked with or at, including St
Patrick’s School, St Joseph’s Institution, Catholic Junior College, National
Arts Council, National Heritage Board, the Inter-Religious Organisation, as well
as old friends and collectors.
The committee aims to:
Raise $200,000 from as many friends of Brother McNally as possible to support
the project to commission and install the sculpture.
To organise a delegation of 50 to 100 friends of Brother McNally who will travel
at their own expense to Ireland for the unveiling of the sculpture in September
2004
Those who would like to support this project can make their cheque to the
"National Heritage Fund" at the National Heritage Board, 140 Hill Street,
#03-02, MITA Building, Singapore 179369. Please indicate 'Brother Joseph McNally
Fund' on the back of the cheque. All donors will receive a tax-exempt receipt.
Donations made will be eligible for double-tax deduction.
"On 27 August 2002, Brother Joseph McNally passed away in County Mayo, Ireland.
Brother Joe, as he was affectionately known to his friends and admirers, had
left an indelible imprint on the cultural history and religious movement of
Singapore…He loved Singapore so much that be became a citizen of Singapore. In
return, Singapore loved him and, in 1997, conferred on him the Meritorious
Service Medal.
Singapore will remember Brother Joe for three reasons. First, because he founded
the LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts and was a tireless champion of the arts and
of art education. Second, because he was also a champion of inter-religious
dialogue and understanding. He was respectful of the faiths of others. It was
fitting that one of the eulogies at his memorial service was delivered by a
Muslim. Third, because he was a truly great human being."
Professor Tommy Koh
Enclosed are background information on:
Brother Joseph McNally (Annex A)
The sculpture (Annex B)
List of committee members (Annex C)
ISSUED BY : The National Heritage Board
: 140 Hill Street #03-02
MITA Building
Singapore 179369
CONTACT : Ng Eu Khim (Mr)
TELEPHONE : 6332-3563
Fax : 6332-3568
Brother Joseph McNally
ANNEX A
Brother McNally is no stranger to both Singapore and Singaporeans alike.
Minister George Yeo said, "Many of us knew Brother Joe McNally. His life was an
inspiration to many of us. He came to Singapore from Ireland in 1945 and
dedicated his life to education, the arts and the promotion of religious
harmony."
Brother McNally was born in Ireland in 1923. He came to Singapore in 1945, just
after World War II. He taught at St Joseph's Institution at the age of 23 and
moved to St Joseph's Institution in Kuala Lumpur where he became its principal.
In Malaysia, he also taught at St Xavier's Institution in Penang and St John's
Institution in Kuala Lumpur. He returned to Singapore in 1963 and went on to
head St Patrick's School. In 1985, he became a Singapore citizen.
Brother McNally retired from the teaching service in 1982 and founded the St.
Patrick's Arts Centre whose mission was to build a teaching and learning
environment in the visual and performing arts that focused on creative
excellence. The centre was subsequently renamed the LASALLE College of the Arts
in 1986. With Brother McNally's determination and resourcefulness, the College
received substantial funding from Singapore Airlines in 1993 and was renamed
LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts. Brother Joseph was president of the college
until 1997. During his tenure as president, he had helped shape the future of
numerous young visual artists and had contributed to the development of the arts
in Singapore by helping the Ministry of Education design the art syllabus and
the Art Elective Programme.
For his distinguished contribution to the arts and to education in Singapore,
Brother McNally was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, conferred by the
State, in 1997. In 1998, he was awarded the Mont Blanc de la Culture award for
patrons of the art.
Sculpture and its location
ANNEX B
The sculpture, Counsellor II, a depiction of a stylised educator-figure gazing
kindly upon a child, has been identified by Minister George Yeo, Mr Liu Thai Ker,
Chairman, National Arts Council and in consultation with the Singapore Art
Museum as the gift. The sculpture depicts the close relationship Brother McNally
had with both Singapore and Malaysia. The sculpture will be cast in bronze as it
symbolises the spiritual element between the educator and child.
The piece to be presented to Ireland is a posthumous cast authorised by the
Estate, which in art world practice may be regarded as an authentic work. The
original was made of bog wood and was given by Brother McNally to the Brothers
Community at De La Salle College, Waterford, Ireland. The sculpture to be
installed in Ireland will be a 2.6 metre, bronze scaled-up version. The
sculpture in Ireland will be located the grounds of the National Museum of
Ireland - Country Life (branch of the Irish National Museum), County Mayo. The
museum located in the west of Ireland is close to Balintubber, where Brother
McNally was born; and is popular with tourists. The sculpture will be sited at a
prominent vantage point at the museum and will be highly visible to the museum
visitors.
Committee to honour Brother Joseph McNally
ANNEX C
The committee consists of:
Chairman
Prof. Tommy Koh Chairman, National Heritage Board
Members
Mr Michael Sng President, St. Joseph Institution Old Boys Association (SJI OBA)
Mr Mike Ang Public Relations Officer, St. Joseph Institution Old Boys
Association (SJI OBA)
Brother Michael Broughton Vice-Principal, St. Joseph Institution
Brother Paul Anthony Rogers Principal, Catholic Junior College
Dr Tan Min Seet President, The Patrician Society
Mr Royston Jalleh Special Projects, The Patrician Society
Mr Vincent Low Strategic Planning, The Patrician Society
Prof. Robert Ely President & CEO, LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts
HE Dato' Parameswaran High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore
HE Hugh Swift Ambassador of Ireland to Singapore
HE Michael Teo Ambassador of Singapore to Ireland
Mr Iskandar Jalil Artist
Mr Chua Ek Kay Artist
Mr Chua Soo Bin President, Art Galleries Association of Singapore
Mr Malik Mattar Friend of Brother McNally
Mrs Tan Suan Imm Friend of Brother McNally
Dr Earl Lu Friend of Brother McNally
Dr Leslie Lam Cardiologist, Cardiac Centre, Mt. Elizabeth Medical Centre
Dr Geh Min Ophthalmologist, Eye Clinic & Surgery, Mt. Elizabeth Medical Centre
Dr Chee Chong Seng Otorhinolaryngologist, Chee ENT Surgery, Mt. Elizabeth
Medical Centre
Mr Liu Thai Ker Chairman, National Arts Council
Mr Ameerali Abdeali Representative, Inter-Religious Organisation
Mr Noor Mohamed Marican Representative, Inter-Religious Organisation
Mr Kwok Kian Chow Director, Singapore Art Museum, National Heritage Board
Ms Ng Bee Kim Director, Directorate B, Ministry of Trade and Industry
Secretary
Mr Ng Eu Khim Planning Executive, National Heritage Board
21/09/2004
Speech by George Yeo, Singapore Minister for Foreign
Affairs, at the Unveiling of 'Counsellor II' in Honour of Brother Joseph McNally
on 20 Sep 04 at the Irish National Museum of Country Life
1. This morning, we unveil one of Brother Joe's own sculptures near where he was
born at Ballintubber. We chose this particular piece in Brother's memory because
Brother saw himself, first and foremost, as an educator. He educated generations
of young men in both Singapore and Malaysia, including many who now hold senior
positions in the public and private sectors.
2. After his retirement in 1982, Brother threw himself to the development of
arts education in Singapore. He also found time to create works of art himself.
LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts which he founded will be moving into a beautiful
city campus in two years' time.
3. Throughout his life, Brother Joe promoted inter-religious understanding.
Singapore and Malaysia are both multi-racial and multi-religious countries.
Among Brother's students were many who were not Catholics. Later in his life,
Brother became a leader in Singapore's Inter-Religious Organisation. When he
left us two years ago, he was mourned by Singaporeans and Malaysians of all
races and religions.
4. We erect this sculpture to remember an Irishman who contributed so much to
our lives in Singapore. He left at the age of 22 to a far-off land and work
among a people with whom he had no links. But, like so many Irish brothers and
sisters, he was doing God's work and, in God's eyes, we are all brothers and
sisters.
5. In expressing our gratitude to Brother Joe, we also thank all the brothers
and nuns who dedicated their lives to the education of the young in Singapore.
By their lifework, they have helped transform us from a Third World to a First
World country.
6. We thank the Irish people for the gift of these remarkable and wonderful
individuals.
7. Monuments are built for the living, not the dead who have no need for them.
For us in Singapore, we undertake this labour of love to remind ourselves of the
values which Brother Joe imparted to us, that we should never live only for
ourselves, that we share a common humanity, that we must rejoice in the gift of
life and in life's gifts, including the arts which are an expression of the
Spirit, that we must give thanks, and love.
8. What Brother has done will nourish the relationship between Ireland and
Singapore. He described himself as both an Irishman and a Singaporean. He was
always conscious of his Celtic inheritance and proud of the contributions that
his race has made to the world. He also became a proud Singaporean and always
pushed us to be better than ourselves. He has left behind a legacy and a
relationship which will grow and flourish. Just as Brother Joe had made
Singapore his home away from home, we hope that many Irish men and women will
treat Singapore in the same way, as your outpost in an Asia which is becoming
more important economically. As you have us in your hearts, so too we have you
in our hearts.
9. We thank the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Office of Public Works and
the Irish National Museum of Country Life for making this undertaking possible.
Press Section
20 September 2004
'Invaluable contribution' of Mayo native to Singapore
commemorated
The Minister for European Affairs, Dick Roche T.D., together with Mr George Yeo,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore today inaugurated one of the late
Brother Joseph McNally's most famous works - a 2.5m high bronze casting of
Counsellor II at the National Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
The beautiful sculpture has been donated by the people of Singapore to the
people of Ireland in recognition of Brother McNally's invaluable contribution to
education, the arts and inter-religious understanding in Singapore. The late
Brother McNally spent almost 40 years teaching in Singapore and asked to be
"remembered as a teacher".
Speaking at the event this morning Minister Roche stated:
"Today is a very special occasion for the McNally Family, his home county and
for Ireland and Singapore. It is wonderful to be here on the west coast of
Ireland at the National Museum of Country Life to mark the coming home of a work
executed across the world by one of Mayo's most famous sons.
George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, is a personification of
the warm friendship for Ireland engendered by Brother McNally and others. His
delegation of over 30 people is made up of Singaporeans who were influenced by
Ireland. Some continued their involvement and came to study in Ireland and
strengthened their ties even more.
The Committee in Singapore worked extremely diligently to arrange for the
handover of this wonderful piece. We are very grateful to them for so generously
honouring Brother McNally and for putting such a huge effort into personally
accompanying the sculpture of Counsellor II to Ireland. It is poignant and
fitting that we should have been joined today by so many of Brother Joe's family
and friends."
Note for Editors:
Bro. Joseph McNally was born in Ballintubber, Co Mayo in 1923. He joined the La
Salle Brothers in 1939 and undertook a life dedicated to religion, teaching and
art. Almost 58 years ago, on 20 October 1946, Bro McNally first landed in
Singapore and pursued a 38 year career in teaching.
No other Irish person has contributed as much to the arts in Singapore as has
Bro. McNally: he educated people from all walks of life to take their places
among the leaders of Singapore and Malaysia; in 1984, he founded the Arts Centre
that was to become the internationally renowned and respected LASALLE-SIA
College of the Arts which now awards degrees to Masters level; he helped attract
international artists and institutes to the city state; and he made time to
create a large number of memorable and inspiring sculptures.
Singapore officially recognised Bro McNally's contribution on two occasions: in
1990 with the Public Service Medal and in 1997 with Singapore's highest award,
the National Meritorious Service Medal. He also received the Mont Blanc de la
Culture Award in 1998. In Ireland, he received Honorary Doctorates from the
National University of Ireland (1995) and the National College of Art and Design
(2000). He was also recognised as Mayo Man of the Year in 1996. Elsewhere, he
received awards from Universities in Indonesia and Australia and a Paul Harris
Fellowship from Rotary International.
Brother McNally executed many public commissions, including the main sculpture
at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
in Singapore and another at the Shanghai Office of the OCBC Bank of Singapore.
His work is also in the collections of the Singapore Arts Museum, the Singapore
and Irish Governments, and AIB Group, as well as in other public and private
collections in Singapore, Ireland and the United States. The Office of Public
Works hosted an exhibition of Brother McNally's work in March 2004.
Arts Central Pays Tribute to Brother Joseph McNally With
Documentary Commissioned By The SBA
29/08/2002
To pay tribute to one of the prominent figures in the local arts community,
Brother Joseph McNally who passed away on 27 August 2002, MediaCorp TV12's Arts
Central will be airing a programme on him. Commissioned by the Singapore
Broadcasting Authority (SBA) as part of a series on our local artists that will
be aired later this year, this episode of 'Self Portraits' on Brother Joseph
McNally will be telecast on Sunday, 1 September 2002 at 9pm.
The documentary, 'Self Portraits - Brother Joseph McNally', features the life of
Brother Joseph McNally, his philosophy and his contribution to Singapore's art
scene. The documentary captures the realisation of one of his last works - a
World Trade Centre sculpture which he created after witnessing the September 11
attacks in New York last year. He viewed this piece as a perfect summation of
his lifelong role as a bridge builder in bringing all faiths together, and his
belief that art can contribute to religious understanding and tolerance.