Biographical Information:
John Behan was born in Dublin in 1938. He studied at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin; Ealing Art College, London; and the Royal Academy School, Oslo. He helped establish the Project Arts Centre in 1967 and the Dublin Art Foundry in 1970. Beginning in the 1960s he exhibited in major group shows such as the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Oireachtas; in addition, he has had frequent solo shows in Ireland and abroad, all combining sculpture and drawing.
The Táin sculptures were commissioned by Mrs. Irene Quinn and were displayed in The Imperial Hotel in Dundalk until the hotel was refurbished in the 1980’s. Mrs. Quinn presented the sculptures to Dundalk Town Council to mark Heritage Year in 1989. The sculptures were subsequently attached to the exterior of the Tourism Office on Market Square, where they all remained until 2011. They were moved to the display cases as part of the overall redevelopment of market Square, having been cleaned by sculptor Leo Higgins at the CAST Bronze Foundry, Dublin.
