Brother McNally’s vision of an integrated art college became reality in 1985 when he established St. Patrick’s Arts Centre. Brother McNally continued to play a key role as the college eventually grew to become today’s LASALLE College of the Arts. Besides his indelible contribution to art education in Singapore, he produced a large body of sculptural work in an artistic practice that spanned four decades.
For Brother McNally's sculptures, his treatment of the material to bring out its natural potential is the core of his practice. Most commonly, he uses ancient bog wood from Ireland, which for him represents a unique spiritual beauty. Also significant is Brother McNally's integration of other materials— ranging from rock crystal to plastics — in his wooden sculptures. Rather than subtracting from material as is conventional in classic approaches to sculpture, his practice involves cohesively bringing together disparate elements to highlight the natural beauty of each.