The carnival atmosphere outside the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery in Cork city last Monday couldn't have been livelier with stilt walkers, street theatre provided by Sult from Schull, drummers and more than 1,000 guests milling about. The sun shone as Sile de Valera TD, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, arrived at noon to open the new two-storey exhibition space at the gallery and an exhibition of contemporary Irish art in Britain, entitled 0044, the dial-code between the two countries.
The Dutch architect, Erick van Egeraat, was there to soak up the praise along with Peter Murray, curator of the gallery, who headed up the home team of celebs, including Jim Corr of Cork City VEC, Fermoy businessman Tom Kavanagh and his wife Marie, and writer Conal Creedon. The gallery opened in 1884.
