b'it is considered one of the beloved pieces of iconic Irish art. Every Irish schoolchild knows of itsimportance.The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoifedepicts the marriage of the daughter of LeinsterKing, Dermot MacMorrough, to Strongbow, the Norman conqueror of Ireland. It is a massive piece, fullof symbolism, and is considered one of Maclises best works. And today, this national Irish treasureis in need of care and conservation.In partnership with The Ireland Funds and their focus on preserving the best of Irish culture andheritage, this care and conservation is now underway. The project is one of ten international projectsenabled by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Art Conservation Programme. The Bank of AmericaMerrill Lynch Art Conservation Project was piloted in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 2010 andprovided funding to restore a diverse range of works of art in 10 countries. The project has been expanded to Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the United States in 2011-2012 to facilitate the restora-tion of 20 art and artifacts that display important cultural and historical value around the world. Below, the National Gallery of Ireland tells of the importance of this work and how support from The Ireland Funds and Bank of America Merrill Lynch Art Conservation Programme will benefit generations to come. Daniel Maclise (1806-70)The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, c.1854PhotoNational Gallery of Irelandconnect2012 | 23'