Dunshaughlin craftsman's 200 hours of stained-glass work to produce Papal Skoda

ŠKODA Ireland, official car partner to the World Meeting of Families, displayed itss pecially commissioned stained-glass ŠKODA KAROQ at the Pastoral Congress at the RDS, from 22nd to 24th August.  

Over 1,700 individual pieces of glass were hand cut and embedded in 25 metres of lead, in traditional church style, to complete the project. 47 different colours of stained-glass were used to depict modern Irish families of different ethnicities, cultures and life stages. 

The stained-glass ŠKODA KAROQ was developed by Dublin-based advertising agency, Boys & Girls, and completed by  Dunshaughlin resident master stained-glass craftsman, Evan Connan – who is the last fully trained traditional stained-glass designer in Ireland. From a small work shop in Crumlin, over 200 hours of labour were invested in the project, from first sketches to final fitting. Upon full completion, the windows weighed 87 kilograms and fit perfectly to the contours of the ŠKODA KAROQ. 

Speaking about the commemorative display, Cathal Kealey, PR and sponsorship manager for ŠKODA Ireland, said: “One of the sources of inspiration for ŠKODA’s designers is Czech crystal glass art, which is characterised by outstanding craftsmanship and quality. We wanted to reflect that inspiration by producing something unique, to mark our association with the World Meeting of Families.  

“We are delighted to have worked with one of Ireland’s most unique craftsmen, to complete this celebration of the Irish families, in stained-glass. Evan was given a blank canvas to bring modern Irish families to life, with colour and imagination, and he has managed to do just that, with the 17 different families portrayed.”  

Last week, ŠKODA Ireland was announced as official car partner to the World Meeting of Families 2018 and the Papal visit. As part of the announcement, the car brand revealed that Pope Francis will be transported in a carefully modified ŠKODA RAPID, for the duration of his Irish visit. 

Following the departure of His Holiness, Pope Francis’s ŠKODA RAPID, together with an additional ŠKODA RAPID, will be provided to a charity to be nominated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, in accordance with the wishes of Pope Francis.