The Irish Times

Dublin's wealth of decorative plasterwork from the 18th and 19th centuries is widely appreciated. Less attention has been given to the range and quality of interior woodwork around the city.

The exhibition The Art of the Joiner 1680 to 1930 highlights this heritage for the first time. It illustrates how changes intaste and fashion influenced the design of interior woodwork. The exhibits range from a chunky, oak, late 17th century staircase from Smithfield to the refined delicate neo-classical decoration of the late 18th century, the Gothic and Greek Revival influences in the early 19th century and the standardised style of the 1920s.

All of the material was salvaged either from skips or the demolition and gutting of buildings over the years. Not many people would think of smashing up and throwing out a Regency sideboard, yet intact sets of 18th and 19th century window sashes, with their internal shutters and architraves, representing work of equivalent value and craftsmanship, are thrown out.