Tá cuntas air in Dictionary of Irish artists: 20th Century, 1996 le Theo Snoddy agus tugann a gharmhac Peter Figgis tuairisc ar an ealaíontóir seo in Irish Arts Review, Iml. 2, uimhir 4, 1985. Deir Figgis: ‘A man whose talents encompassed many aspects of the arts, and whose erudite interests included archaeology (he lectured on Newgrange), philosophy, chemistry and herbalism, I doubt whether he ever spent one boring moment in his eighty-two years. He was always occupied with one project or another and the culmination of his career was his magnificent Leabhar na hAiséirighe in which, in my opinion, his manifest genius transcended all his previous achievements.’

In Southampton a rugadh é. Ba as Loch Bricleann, Co. an Dúin, dá mhuintir. Ba é Arthur William Murnaghan, oifigeach sa tSuirbhéaracht Ordanáis, a athair. Thabharfadh scoláireacht chuig Cambridge é ach níorbh acmhainn dó glacadh léi. Chaith sé ceithre bliana ina phrintíseach ag poiticéar. Ansin ghlac sé le post i Leabharlann Carnegie Southampton. In 1898 fuair sé post mar dhearthóir páipéir balla i mBaile Átha Cliath. Phós sé neacht leis an ealaíontóir Alexander Williams (1846-1930); ceoltóir agus amhránaí ba ea í. Bhí cumas chun aisteoireachta ann agus d’fhaigheadh sé páirteanna in Amharclann na Banríona. Ina dhiaidh sin bhí baint aige leis The Little Theatre faoi stiúir Madame Bannard Cogley. Thug Hilton Edwards agus Micheál Mac Liammóir cuireadh dó teacht go hAmharclann an Gheata agus bhí sé, ní hamháin ina aisteoir ann, ach ina bhainisteoir stáitse agus ina dhearthóir freisin. Chumadh sé ceol le cur le drámaí. Bhí sé ar dhuine d’fhoireann an Gheata ar a dturas chun na hÉigipte i 1936. In All for Hecuba deir Mac Liammóir, agus é ag tagairt do dhráma Denis Johnston The Old Lady Says No: ‘Art O’Murnaghan wielded the drumsticks with untiring devotion and a rapt expression like a druid at some sacred rite. He was an elderly saint who worshipped Angus and Lú and the ancient gods of Ireland and who has a miraculous flair for all the known arts, from the loveliest Gaelic illumination in the manner of the fifth-century monks to the making of properties, the writing of music, the research of ancient lore, the management of a stage, and the playing of character parts – his acting as Firs in our production of The Cherry Orchard many years later was of the rarest beauty and distinction.’ Deir Snoddy: ‘His extra-curricular activities also included parts in films, historical digging at Newgrange and a visit to Tibet for study of the monks’ way of life.’ Bhí páirt aige sna scannáin Odd Man Out agus Another Shore. Bhí cúpla pictiúr dá dhéantús ar taispeáint sa Royal Hibernian Academy i 1929. Bhíodh an piano á sheinm aige i gcineama an Volta i dtús an chéid seo caite.

Bhí sé ina bhall de Chonradh na Gaeilge agus dhearadh sé suaitheantais Ard-Fheise dóibh. Bhí sé ina bhall d’fhochoiste an Cheoil agus na hEalaíne ag Ard-Fheis 1903. Deir Donncha Ó Súilleabháin: ‘Fochoiste a bhí ann de dhaoine céimiúla a raibh dlúthbhaint acu le ceol agus le healaín’ (Scéal an Oireachtais 1897-1924, 1984 ). Baill den choiste sin ba ea Edward Martyn, W.H. Grattan-Flood, Seosamh Laoide, agus Séamus de Chlanndiolúin. Ba é Art a dhearadh ceannteidil seachtainiúla The United Irishman, páipéar Airt Uí Ghríofa, agus dhearadh sé cártaí Nollag Shinn Féin i rith 1914-18. Tá roinnt dá uisce-dhathanna agus dá shaothar pastail ar coimeád i Músaem Uladh. Ó 1936 amach bhí sé éirithe as obair lánaimseartha in Amharclann an Gheata. Bhí rang á mhúineadh aige i Scoil na nEalaíon ar mhaisiú párpháipéir (vellum illustration). I 1939 bhí rang á mhúineadh aige ann ar an ornáideachas Ceilteach i gcúrsaí deartha.

Ach is i ngeall ar Book of the Resurrection – Leabhar na hAiséirighe a mhaireann a chlú. Bheartaigh an Irish Republican Memorial Committee ar leabhar ar leith a chur ar fáil a chomórfadh ainmneacha na ndaoine a cailleadh i gCogadh na Saoirse. Bhí Ella Young ina rúnaí ar an gcoiste sin; Art a mhaisigh scéal Ella, ‘The Adventures of Gobbaun Saor and his son’, in The Dublin Magazine, Meán Fómhair 1923 ar aghaidh. Cuireadh comórtas ar siúl agus bhuaigh Art. Bhí cóipeanna den leathanach samplach a bhí deartha aige ar díol in Éirinn agus thar lear chun chuid de costas na hoibre a ghlanadh. Deir Art sa leabhar: ‘This Book was begun on the Eve of Easter Day 1924 in the City of Dublin in the home of the artist-scribe, continued until the Spring of 1927 when progress was interrupted until December, 1937. Two pages and an unfinished page between this and December, 1938 – again interrupted. In August, 1943 the work was again resumed and continued until February 1951.’ Is beag airgead a fuair sé de bharr na hoibre. Agus ar feadh na mblianta ní raibh radharc ar an leabhar ag an bpobal - bhí sé coinnithe slán i stóras. Agus taispeántais á oscailt ag an Aire John O’Donoghue (An Roinn Ealaíon, Spóirt agus Turasóireachta) i Músaem na hÉireann 20 Eanáir 2003 luaigh sé Leabhar na hAiséirighe in aon anáil leis na samplaí is aitheanta de sheanseoda na hÉireann. Ag tagairt don leabhar deir Jeanne Sheedy: ‘His work is exquisitively decorative, fine and intricately designed, and like that of Mia Cranwell is a mixture of Celtic ornament and eastern mysticism. Also like her work, it recalls Irish sources without being a copy. Unfortunately he died before the manuscript (now in the National Museum of Ireland) was completed’ (The Rediscovery of Ireland’s Past: the Celtic Revival 1830-1930, 1980). D’éag Art ar 8 Iúil 1954.

Diarmuid Breathnach

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