Henry's Head - Famed publican lives on

He was known far and wide; well beyond the confines of Navan, his town, where he ran a renowned hostelery - Loughran's on Trimgate Street. By the time he died in October 2015 at the age of 83, Henry Loughran had acquired a certain legendary status as a publican, raconteur and sportsman. He was also known as an affable, kindly man.
His slim frame could often be seen sitting in his own bar; his familiar features known to all. Now those same features have been used as a basis for a work of art; a piece of sculpture crafted by Conor Irwin, a Ratoath-based dentist who lives in the Walterstown area.
The bust is called simply 'Henry's Head' and was unveiled this week in Loughran's public house which opened 130 years ago this year, in 1888.
The piece of sculpture will sit in the renowned venue to be viewed by all and sundry - and it's certainly appreciated by the family. “Henry's head had all kind of angles and it was an ideal composition for Conor to do. The family are absolutely thrilled with the work he has produced. It's extraordinary what he has done, it's amazing how much it actually resembles Henry,” said Susan Brennan, Henry's daughter.
Like the Loughrans, the Irwin family have strong connections with Navan. Conor's father Colm ran a dentistry business in Bedford Place for many years. Today, Conor's sister, Geraldine also runs a dental practice in the town. 
It was while on a trip to a dentistry conferance in England that Conor Irwin's interest in the business of sculpturing was piqued. “The conference was in Portsmouth, about 25 years ago now, and there was a man there, he must have been about 55, and he had just won the 'New Sculptor of the Year' award. He had suffered a stroke and had to retire as a dentist,” he recalls. 
“He was just at a loss at what to do. He took up sculpturing on the basis that, as a dentist, he might be good with his hands and he proved to be quite outstanding. He was so good he won the 'New Sculpture of the Year' award. That was something that registered with me and I said to myself maybe I could have a go at that.”
Irwin went on to study for a part-time diploma in sculpturing at the National College of Art and Design and found he derived huge enjoyment from the process of creating pieces of art. “It reminds me of how women used to knit in the old days. They would knit as much for peace and relaxation as they did to make something to be used on a day-to-day basis.”
Last summer he also attended a sculpturing course in Rossnaree House, Newgrange, where he started creating the 'Henry's Head' piece. 
“I always thought Henry Loughran had one of the finest heads you'll ever see, that wily look, very distinctive, just a fantastic-looking head.”
Once he had done his research Irwin started out on the project. “It took me about 20 to 25 hours in all once you get stuck into the project it can move along quickly. Once you keep the clay moist you can leave it there for a few weeks and then return to it if that's what you wish.
“What I make is a clay mould, then the clay gets copied in wax, then there's a process where they burn the wax and put it in molted bronze before it is finished. It's a very skilful, complex process and the piece has to be patentated to get the right colour.” 
Married to Paula with three children, Rosanna, Sean and Liam, Conor Irwin has been involved in various community projects over the years and last Thursday in Loughran's he also launched the 2018 version of his by now annual walk from Tara to Newgrange to generate funds for the Peter McVerry Trust. Loughrans were happy to make a donation to the Trust to show their appreciation for Irwin's work of art. 
The Loughran family, that includes Henry's daughters, Susan and Barbara and son, Frank, have been part and parcel of the Navan business community for a very long time.
“The late Aidan Murray from Kilmessan was a great genealogist and he produced a family tree that showed how the Loughrans moved to Meath from Longford in the 1770s,” explained Susan. “He was able to show that the family had a Henry, Frank, Henry, Frank, Henry, Frank progression the whole way down to today.” The pub business also became an integral part of the family tradition. 
Among the many stories Henry related (and which was recorded by John Donohoe of this parish in Henry's 80th birthday interview) was how, while helping his aunt and uncle in their Brews Hill bar in 1953 on the same day as a Meath v Dublin Leinster SFC clash at nearby Pairc Tailteann, “they got through 22 barrels of stout and had to go to Trimgate Street for more stock. All that was left was a few crates of cider, which got them off the hook.” 
The Trimgate Steet outlet then sold a huge range of goods included seeds and fertilisers. It also incorporated a grocery with the bar only a small part of the entire enterprise. By the 1970s however, Henry started to focus exclusively on the bar business and it proved a wise choice as Loughran's became a very popular meeting place. 
In 1960 Henry married Sheelagh Lynch from Lisclogher, Athboy and they raised their family of three over the pub. Sheelagh passed away in 2003 and Henry remained a familiar figure in the family pub until his passing in 2015. It was in the bar he could often be found sitting at the counter enjoying a cigarette. A keen follower of horseracing it wasn't unusual either to see Henry with the racing pages of a newspaper spread out over the pool table at the back as he carefully studied form. 
He could hardly have imaged that his distinctive head would became the basis for a fine work of art.