BEST known in Glasgow for his banana boots, banjo-playing and brilliant stand-up shows, Billy Connolly had a very different role in the city back in February, 1994.
He was in town to hand over £8000 to the winning designer in the Holy Island International Architecture Competition, at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art.
The competition, to design an interdenominational centre and two Tibetan Buddhist retreats on the island off Arran, attracted 198 entries from architects around the world. The Buddhist community bought the 900-acre island in 1992 for £350,000 after a public fundraising appeal.
The winners were Amsterdam architects Bosch Haslett.
Billy told the crowd he was the first to admit he did not have a reputation as a religious person, bar a time in his childhood when he was a member of the “Legion of Mary -- a kind of religious taskforce which went round people's houses getting them to say the rosary,” he said, adding: “As soon as they appeared at people's doors, they just lost the will to live.”
Billy revealed he had “flirted” with Buddhism several years previously, learning to meditate and attending the Samye Ling Centre.
READ MORE: Glasgow's St Mungo Museum re-opens for first time since before the pandemic
''If you're going to go there, get a taste for lentils and tofu,” he joked, adding that he had, in fact, been astounded by the joy and calm. The winning design he described as breathtaking.
Billy’s visit to the museum was one of many highlights in its history which will mark its 30th anniversary.
It is unique in the UK and one of only a few museums in the world dedicated to religion. It recently reopened for the first time since before the pandemic.
Named after the city’s patron saint, is recognised for its role in promoting understanding and respect between people of different faiths and of none.
The museum, which sits in one of the oldest parts of the city beside the cathedral and Provand’s Lordship, explores the importance of religion in people’s lives across the world and across time.
In 2000, Scottish sculptor Kenny Hunter won £10,000 plus £30,000 for materials to make a life-sized statue of Jesus for the millennium.
His design, called The Man Walks Among Us, depicted Jesus emerging from the River Jordan after being baptised to face his trials in the desert. Kenny described Christ as “an agitator, a trouble-maker and a troubled man.”
He beat five other artists - Victoria Crowe, Ken Currie, Nicola Hicks, Julie Roberts, and Kate Robinson - to win the Jesus 2000 visual arts commission.
St Mungo Museum was home to one of the world's most powerful twentieth-century religious works, Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross, before its move back to Kelvingrove.
Glasgow Corporation approved the purchase of the celebrated artwork - now worth many millions of pounds – more than 70 years ago.
Then Director of Museums Tom Honeyman negotiated a price of £8200, much less than the £12,000 asking price.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here