Limerick artist draws on inspiration from his own backyard

JIM O’FARRELL knows the streets of his native Limerick better than most.

Since age 15 he has been sketching streets, buildings and famous landmarks such as the Treaty Stone.

Jim, 53, has now produced a collection of six pen and ink drawings with water colour wash on water colour paper.

The limited edition drawings are already being snapped up since going on sale last week.

The cards include drawings of Pery Square, Hunt Museum, St Mary’s Cathedral, The Crescent, St Michael’s Church and Clarina Village.

In order to get the best daylight and unimpeded views, Jim rose at 5am each morning during the summer.

“At that hour I was able to place my easel where ever I thought I could get the best angle as there was little or no traffic. I had the streets to myself, except for the milkman and a few late night stragglers on the way home,” said Jim, who teaches at John the Baptist Community School in Hospital.

“I have got a huge reaction and people like the angles I have taken which are different,” said Jim who is a native of Corbally and now lives in Ballybrown.

Jim is now busy working on a further collection of 36 Limerick drawings for a book he is doing in collaboration with Limerick historian, Cian O’Carroll to be titled ‘Limerick Legacy’.

“The book will combine my artwork with Cian’s historical text. There is a lot of work involved in this, but it is a hugely exciting project. The book should be ready by late 2005, or early the following year,” said Jim.

In 1981, Jim teamed up with the late Seamus O’Cinneide, the Limerick journalist and historian for a series titled ‘Glimpses of Old Limerick’ which appeared as a 36-week series in the Limerick Leader.

“That was received very well and it was a great pleasure to have worked with Seamus who knew Limerick better than anybody I know,” said Jim.

Recently Jim designed the stained glass window for St Nicholas’s Church in Westbury, Corbally.

“This gave me a lot of personal satisfaction having my own work in place in the parish church of my native Corbally,” said Jim.

Jim’s latest collection is available at McDonagh’s shop in Roches Street, Limerick for €2.50 each.