William Alphonsus Scott
William Alphonsus Scott (1871 – 1921) was a well-known Irish Roman Catholic ecclesiastical architectural historian, academic, and architect active throughout late—nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Ireland. His offices were first located in Drogheda, later located at 45 Mountjoy Square, Dublin.
Scott was apprenticed to Thomas Newenham Deane in the early 1890s who was Superintendent of National Monuments. He worked in London from 1899 to 1902 and was there influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement. His ecclesiastical work, mostly for Catholic churches, was influenced by Early Irish Christian and Byzantine architecture. In 1911, he was appointed Chair of Architecture at University College, Dublin, succeeding the eminent Sir Thomas Drew. Much of his was completed by fellow academic Rudolf Maximilian Butler (1872 – 1943), then of 23 Kildare Street, Dublin.
He was described as an architect by appointment to the Celtic Revival. 'The Irish Architecture Archive' attributes 122 works to his name. His model village in Talbot’s Inch (1904-1908), Kilkenny shows his awareness and adaption of the modern arts and crafts (A&C) architecture.
Scott worked as an architect in the London County Council Architects’ Department (1899-1902) and it is reasonable to assume that in this environment he was influenced by the work of Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin. They were actively involved in promoting the model and garden village progressive ideal for housing schemes as part of the English Arts and Crafts movement. The ideal was not just about aesthetics but sought better living standards and improved public health. Scott was “deeply influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement” on his return from London. In addition, the ‘Irish Builder and Engineer’ carried designs and reviews on these activities such as on Parker and Unwin’s ‘Cottages near a Town’ in January 1904. This was shortly before Scott commenced his designs for Talbot’s Inch later in 1904. Talbot’s Inch was an early and important implementation of this progressive A&C architecture in the British Isles being contemporary with Letchworth garden village in the UK. A&C model villages were rare in Ireland with the only other one identifiable through the Irish Architectural Archive being Pembroke Gardens in Dublin.
The village of Talbots Inch consists of houses, and what Scott described as “model cottages”. It had a self-contained community of workers for the adjacent industrial colony and was well located on the northern suburbs of Kilkenny City. The industries included the highly esteemed “The Kilkenny Woodworkers”, 'Kilkenny Woollen Mills' and an undergarment factory. The village commissioned by Lady Desart for her workers and included many facilities for the workers. Talbot’s Inch has often been written about and was extensively documented by Dúchas in their Buildings of Ireland series, however “the skilled craftspeople are forgotten” or wrongly attributed.
An Túr Gloine (The Tower of Glass) was a stained glass studio established in Dublin by painter Sarah Purser, in 1903. Stained Glass artist A.E. Child from the Dublin School of Art was part-time manager. It became one of the most successful ventures of the Irish Arts and Crafts movement. The Studio employed talented artists and produced high-quality stained glass as a co-operative until 1944. It was then taken over by Catherine O’Brien who ran it until 1963 when it finally closed.
Using the National Gallery of Ireland’s archive holding on An Túr Gloine held in the Centre for the Study of Irish Art we can connect the Kilkenny Woodworkers, William Scott, the model village and some of the unsung craftspeople. In doing so we add to our knowledge of Talbots Inch
The archives include recorded data from between 1903 and 1920 and shows that during this period, William Scott was An Túr Gloine’s main client. Is shows Scott's heavy influence on the design of the village. Not only did he design it, but he handpicked the craftsmen and the materials to be applied to his designs. He placed the more orders than anyone with An Túr Gloine during this period. What the archives also show is that An Túr Gloine studio created other less celebrated work including the ”strongly coloured, streaky stained glass panels leaded into casement windows” for Talbot’s Inch. Their role in this venture has not previously been identified and this is the principle finding on examination of Workbook 1. These windows were not created by the well-known artists associated with the studio but by glaziers and workmen; some of those “forgotten craftspeople”: Williams, Kinsella and Nolan.
The village has changed over the last century. The original thatch has been replaced with slate and other houses have been built in the area. The overall layout and landscape of the village is intact and somewhat surprisingly a large number of the original houses and cottages have their An Túr Gloine windows, but in some instances the casements and mullions need attention. The houses have changed very little throughout the years and this has to be attributed to the homeowners and residents of the village. Many of the homeowners have undertaken much restoration work on their homes, and it is very noticeable as they look fantastic.
Assumptions had been made as to who was the builder employed on the Talbot’s Inch development, it was recorded that he was a local builder. The archives set the record straight confirming the builder was Simon Costello.
It is very clear that William Alphonsus Scott really put his stamp on the village. His past experiences and time in England, evidently shaped the village and made it what it was, and is.