Cork In 50 Artworks, No 25: Eileen Healy’s portrait of Cónal Creedon

The painting which now hangs in the Crawford Art Gallery began a sequence of events which led to the writer's plays being performed in New York and China 

Conal Creedon with the portrait that also features on the cover of his book, Second City Trilogy. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Healy’s portrait of Cónal Creedon was acquired by the Crawford Art Gallery in 2007, and now forms part of its permanent collection.

Healy, a native of Youghal who has long been a stalwart of the art scene in Cork city, was asked to produce a painting for the gallery’s Portraits of Irish Writers series, and chose Creedon for the best of reasons. “I knew him, I admired his work and I loved his cool sense of style. Plus, he has a wicked sense of humour.”