Robert Ballagh postage stamp designs

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This list documents postage stamp designs by the Irish artist, Robert Ballagh. Some of his designs are based on paintings, drawings, or other graphic work by other artists.[1]

Irish stamp by Ballagh (1973), commemorating the World Meteorological Organisation

Ballagh's first postage stamp design was released on 4 September 1973. It commemorated the centenary of the World Meteorological Organization and depicted a weather map of northwestern Europe. His portrayal of Ireland did not show the border with Northern Ireland, provoking the unionist politician Ian Paisley to demand in the British House of Commons that the British government should make a formal objection, even though no other international borders were shown, either.[2][1]: 50 

Later design contracts included the centenaries of the Universal Postal Union and the first telephone transmission, the golden jubilee of Ireland's national electricity utility, the centenaries of the births of Patrick Pearse and Éamon de Valera and commemorations of various other Irish statesmen, issues related to Scouting, Guiding and the Boys' Brigade, Irish festivals, the Irish lighthouse authority and one of Ireland's annual "love stamps".[1]: 101 

One stamp design was rejected by the government, after stamps had already been printed, possibly due to political interference; the stamps and plates were destroyed.[3]: 41  A version of the stamp was eventually released more than 15 years later.[3]: 68  On another occasion, in 1994, he was commissioned to produce stamps commemorating five Irish Nobel Prize winners; four were released but the fifth was cancelled when the Irish postal service, An Post, belatedly realised that the subject, physicist Ernest Walton, was still alive.[3]: 67–68 

Release date Postage stamp theme
4 September 1973 Centenary of the World Meteorological Organisation.[1]: 50 
9 October 1974 Centenary of the Universal Postal Union.[1]: 51 
10 March 1976 Centenary of the first telephone transmission.[1]: 53 
22 August 1977 Scouting and guiding.[1]: 56 
12 September 1977 1100th anniversary of the death of Johannes Scotus Eriugena.[1]: 56 
10 October 1977 Golden jubilee of the Electricity Supply Board.[1]: 56 
13 April 1978 Fiftieth anniversary of the first east-west transatlantic flight.[1]: 57 
18 September 1978 Bicentenary of the birth of Sister Catherine McAuley.[1]: 57 
18 October 1978 Arrival onshore of Ireland's natural gas.[1]: 58 
10 November 1979 Birth centenary of Pádraig Mac Piarais.[1]: 61 
24 June 1981 Fiftieth anniversary of An Óige, the Irish Youth Hostel Association.[1]: 64 
14 October 1982 Birth centenary of Éamon de Valera.[1]: 69 
7 April 1983 Centenary of the Boys' Brigade.[1]: 69 
11 August 1983 Centenary of the birth of Seán Mac Diarmada.[1]: 71 
11 August 1983 Andrew Jackson (1767–1849).[a][1]: 71 
15 September 1983 World Communications Year.[b][1]: 71 
10 May 1984 Second direct elections to the European Parliament.[1]: 73 
14 March 1985 Bicentenary of Dunsink Observatory.[1]: 75 
14 March 1985 Bicentenary of the first aeronautic flight by an Irishman.[c][1]: 76 
20 June 1985 Birth centenary of Thomas Ashe.[1]: 77 
27 May 1986 Fiftieth anniversary of Aer Lingus.[1]: 79 
10 July 1986 Commissioners of Irish Lights.[1]: 80 
21 August 1986 Centenary of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions.[1]: 81 
21 August 1986 Statesmen of Ireland: Arthur Griffith.[1]: 81 
27 August 1987 Festivals of Ireland.[d][1]: 84 
1 October 1987 Statesmen of Ireland: Cathal Brugha.[1]: 84 
7 April 1988 Statesmen of Ireland: William T. Cosgrave.[1]: 86 
27 July 1989 Statesmen of Ireland: Seán T. O'Kelly.[1]: 91 
21 June 1990 Statesmen of Ireland: Michael Collins.[1]: 95 
18 October 1990 Irish theatre.[e][1]: 96 
2 July 1991 Statesmen of Ireland: John A. Costello.[1]: 99 
28 January 1992 Love stamp.[f][1]: 101 
15 October 1992 Single E.C. Market, 1992.[1]: 104 
18 October 1994 Irish Nobel Prizewinners.[g][4]: 36 
6 April 1995 Europa: Peace and Freedom.[4]: 37 
12 March 1996 L'Imaginaire Irlandais: Festival of Contemporary Irish Arts, France.[4]: 38 
4 July 1996 150th Centenary of Birth of Michael Davitt.[4]: 39 
6 May 1998 Bicentenary of United Irish Rebellion.[h][4]: 43 
29 July 2003 Bicentenary of Rebellion of 1803.[i][4]: 54 
11 April 2022 Postman with bicycle (from 1983: Art on a Stamp tenth definitive series).[5][6]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Seventh president of the United States.
  2. ^ The United Nations designated 1983 as World Communications Year: Development of Communications Infrastructures.
  3. ^ Richard Crosbie flew in a hydrogen balloon from Ranelagh to Clontarf in 1785.
  4. ^ Four stamps portraying annual Irish festivals: the Fleadh Nua in Ennis, the Rose of Tralee festival, the Wexford Opera Festival, and the Ballinasloe Horse Fair.
  5. ^ Four stamps portraying scenes from the plays Waiting for Godot, The Playboy of the Western World, Juno and the Paycock, and The Field.
  6. ^ Design partly inspired by Robert Indiana's Love design.
  7. ^ Four stamps portraying Bernard Shaw, W. B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, and Seán MacBride.
  8. ^ Five stamps honouring the United Irishmen, Liberty, French Soldiers, Wolfe Tone, and Henry Joy McCracken.
  9. ^ Three stamps portraying Robert Emmet, Thomas Russell, and Anne Devlin.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj Postage Stamps of Ireland: 70 years 1922 ~ 1992. Dublin: An Post. 1992. ISBN 1 872228 13 5.
  2. ^ Ballagh, Robert (6 November 1994). "Making a mark with tiny paintings". The Tribune Magazine. Dublin: Sunday Tribune. p. 18.
  3. ^ a b c Carty, Ciaran (2010). Robert Ballagh: Citizen Artist (1st ed.). Howth, County Dublin: Zeus Medea. ISBN 978 0 9525376 1 8.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Stamp Catalogue: Ireland (6th ed.). London and Ringwood: Stanley Gibbons. 2015. ISBN 978 0 85259 924 2.
  5. ^ "Postman on Bicycle by Robert Ballagh". Colnect. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  6. ^ McGreevy, Ronan (25 August 2022). "An Post celebrates 100 years of Irish stamps with special series featuring art by Orla Kiely, Maser and others". The Irish Times.
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