Award-winning architect Orla Murphy will be in Letterkenny this Friday night where she will present a special talk on Ernest Speer’s Shop on the town’s Main Street as part of an historic shop fronts presentation.
The event is being organised as part of Culture Night and will be hosted by the County Donegal Heritage Office, Culture Division, Donegal County Council.
It gets underway at 6.30pm on Friday, September 20 and as Orla Murphy, UCD Assistant Professor of Architecture, explained, shop fronts, like Speer’s in Letterkenny, help add to a town’s character.
“Taking Ernest Speer’s beautiful shop front as an example, this event entitled ‘Ampersands & Mullions’ will explore some of the elements of shop fronts and signage that give our towns their unique character and distinctiveness,” Orla said.
“From colours, proportion, material, typography and craftsmanship, our shop fronts represent the local culture, stories and memory of place. Be sure to share your own story of your favourite shop fronts in Letterkenny with us at the event.”
The ‘Donegal Shop Fronts & Signage’ booklet by architect Orla Murphy that was commissioned as part of the implementation of the County Donegal Heritage Plan.
Orla Murphy is a part-time Assistant Professor and Deputy Co-Head of the School of Architecture Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin and Co-Director of the UCD Centre for Irish Towns.
Her research and practice focuses on Irish towns, housing and participatory design, especially in the context of climate resilience and a just low carbon transition.
“Traditional shop fronts, both individually and collectively, have a major impact on the overall character, quality and attractiveness of place” said Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer.
“The County Donegal Heritage Office has produced a free booklet on ‘Donegal Traditional Shop Fronts & Signage’ based on research undertaken by Orla Murphy. The booklet draws upon best practice and encourages appropriate, sensitive and informed interventions in relation to our traditional shop fronts, vernacular signage and historical streetscapes.
“New shop fronts can also learn from existing traditional shopfront character to inform and guide future developments.”
Free copies of the Donegal Traditional Shop Fronts & Signage booklet commissioned as part of the implementation of the County Donegal Heritage Plan will be available at the event and from the County Donegal Heritage Office on (074) 916 3824.
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