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Central bank

First collector coin commemorating an Irish woman issued by Central Bank

The first coin features one of Gray’s most iconic designs.

THE CENTRAL BANK has today issued a €10 collector coin celebrating renowned Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray.

The coin is the first ever issued by the Central Bank commemorating the achievements of an Irish woman.

The coin features a portrait of Gray in front of a representative image of one of her most iconic modernist designs ‘Screen’. The silver proof coin was designed by Italian artist Sandra Deiana.

Deiana said she was “immediately struck by the idea of designing a coin to pay tribute to a female artist who worked in a period when it was still difficult to succeed in the world of work, especially in the arts”.

Sharon Donnery, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank presented the first coin to the National Museum of Ireland earlier today, commenting that it was fitting for her to be the first woman on a collector coin as she was a “pre-eminent figure within the Modernist movement”.

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37 Comments
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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:01 PM

    It’s only worth two thirds what coins commemorating Irish men are worth.

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:51 PM

    Countess markievicz would have been more appropriate, of course that’s just me…….

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:54 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin:

    Why?

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    Mute Frederick Burden
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:06 PM

    The ideal gift for the privileged western corporate feminist in your life this Christmas.

    58
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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:27 PM

    @Frederick Burden:

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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    Mute Virtual Architect
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    Nov 30th 2016, 7:15 PM

    I’m not big on the old feminism thing either to put it mildly but let’s give credit where it’s due. It is sad not to have any women represented on coins.

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    Mute Lee O'Sullivan
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:12 PM

    Could they not have chosen someone we’ve actually heard of?

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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:15 PM

    Lucy Kennedy maybe? She seems to be on everything else.

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    Mute Dave Sherman
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:17 PM

    Think?

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    Mute Dave Sherman
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:17 PM

    Twink even.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:27 PM

    @Lee O’Sullivan:

    I’ve heard of her. Her work is on display for all to see for free in Collins Barracks. She was one of the most important furniture designers of all time, her work is still stunning and relevant. Maybe the fact she is on the coin will get more people to find out who this most important of Irish artists was. Makes far more sense than the obvious choices of Collins, etc. She is well regarded in the art scene, now she may be well regarded by society as a whole.

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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:30 PM

    @John Smith: Relatively speaking, how important can a furniture designer actually be?

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:36 PM

    @Lee O’Sullivan: It’s often worthwhile to commemorate someone that people haven’t heard of, so that by the commemoration people get to hear about them.
    (Obviously, many people have heard of Eileen Gray, but this might spur new interest in her work.)

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:51 PM

    @Eyepopper:

    Extremely. Anyone that changes the world is important in some way. People seem to forget that everything that surrounds them is created by someone with a creative gift, from your Lidl brochure to this site you type into. And all movements forward in design and art are created by a small number of game changers. Without people like Eileen Gray you would be living in a colourless box with only nature providing any beauty. The world would be a much duller place without people like Eileen Gray/

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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:58 PM

    @John Smith: I spend 8 hours a day in a 8×8 dark green cubicle,

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    Mute king Tut
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    Nov 30th 2016, 4:43 PM

    Eileen Great was a world renowned designer. Although Countess Markovitz is well known here, outside of the Republic I doubt many would have heard of her. To be honest, they both deserve commemoration.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 4:44 PM

    @Eyepopper:

    You should visit Collins Barracks after your 8 hours to see some of Eileen Gray’s work, might cheer you up.

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    Mute king Tut
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    Nov 30th 2016, 4:45 PM

    *Gray not great. Bleedin auto correct.

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    Mute (((Jason)))
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    Nov 30th 2016, 4:58 PM

    You can also visit Enniscorthy castle and her homestead in the town to view her work and life

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    Mute Brian Egleston
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    Nov 30th 2016, 5:45 PM

    Such ignorance is astonishing !

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    Mute Denis Moynihan
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    Nov 30th 2016, 5:50 PM

    @John Smith: Without Le Corbisier Eileen Gray would have been living in a colourless box. :-)

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    Mute Darren Mulligan
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    Nov 30th 2016, 6:06 PM

    One of her pieces, a chair sold for something like €20 mil so she must be fairly well known

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:09 PM

    €10 coin for sale for €60. A collectors lot.

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:15 PM

    Another €7.75 if you wanted it posted to you.

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:38 PM

    Why today? It seems to be precisely one month late for the 40th anniversary of her death.

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    Mute Kevin Tyrrell
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    Nov 30th 2016, 7:08 PM

    Eileen Gray was an example of something we have produced very very little of in the artistic and creative world. We have poets, painters, writers and scribes a plenty…but we have very very few examples of anyone who made a big difference in the world of actual design. Eileen Gray designed some amazingly fine furniture that was at least a century ahead of its time using glass, steel and modern materials to create furniture that was effectively unheard of in the era which was still dominated by heavy lumps of wood!!! The effect of placing her furniture next to a typical piece from the 1920′s would have been akin to plonking a 55 inch 4K LED Flat Screen Tv next to an early model black and white tv in a 1950′s home. If we cant celebrate somebody who had that amount of artistic endeavour and creativity then maybe we are just a nation of ludites!!!

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    Mute Shane Kinsella
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    Nov 30th 2016, 4:56 PM

    Never heard of her, and that’s not me trying to get a sly dig in.

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    Mute Virtual Architect
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    Nov 30th 2016, 7:18 PM

    She’s a famous Irish architect (who would never be allowed to call herself an architect or practise under current Irish law.)

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    Mute Brendan Moriarty
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:33 PM

    A furniture designer?? There’s no Irish woman ever who’s done something more worthwhile than drawing chairs?

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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:48 PM

    She was also an arcitect who was considered on a par with the greats of her fsy.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:54 PM

    @Brendan Moriarty:

    She is one of the most important artists in her field, globally revered yet mocked here by people who don’t understand. I find it funny that you think something every person uses on a daily basis trivial. There is more to furniture than IKEA.

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    Mute Shane Kinsella
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    Nov 30th 2016, 5:02 PM

    John, relax the pants dude. nobody is actually mocking her. Just curious as to who she is. You can’t deny there are obviously more well known irish female figures out there.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 30th 2016, 5:04 PM

    @Shane Kinsella:

    “There’s no Irish woman ever who’s done something more worthwhile than drawing chairs?”

    Sounds like mocking to me. If you don’t know who she is you need to get out more, culture is all around you.

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    Mute king Tut
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    Nov 30th 2016, 5:12 PM

    Culture…not just found in yogurt!

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    Mute Upowthat Burke
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:10 PM

    It a tragady the central bank dident stick to minting coins they seem to be good at it. But that’s about all there good at

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:58 PM

    How about the Central Bank actually regulates?

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    Mute Aileen Power
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    Nov 30th 2016, 3:32 PM

    Fantastic. Love Eileen Gray’s work. Didn’t realise we don’t already have any women at all commemorated on coins? Good call Central Bank.

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