Mark O'Neill (b.1963)

The contemporary Irish painter and illustrator Mark O'Neill was born in Lancashire in 1963. After a childhood, spent in Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Malta and London, he was taught fine art painting and drawing at the Kingston College of Art, from where he graduated with first class Honours. He achieved notable success as a commercial illustrator for companies like Harrods, Guinness, Southern Comfort and Royal Mail as well as numerous publishers. However, in his late 20s, he returned to his maternal family’s hometown of Tullamore, County Offaly, to take up painting full time. Since then he has enjoyed notable success and considerable recognition as an artist. O’Neill currently lives and works in County Wexford.

China Blue

After returning to Ireland Mark O'Neill first showed at the Forge Gallery in County Louth and this was followed by a number of sell-out shows at the Frederick Gallery in Dublin. In addition, he took part in the Wexford Art Show, held in conjunction with the Annual Wexford Opera Festival.

He has won many awards at exhibitions including the Arnotts National Portrait Exhibition in Dublin, the “Artist for Future Appreciation Award” at the annual Royal Hibernian Academy Exhibition. In 1998, half a dozen of Mark’s pictures were included in “Ireland: Crossing Borders”, an exhibition of Irish art at Gallery Revel in New York. All his paintings sold.

The Costelloe Jug and Bottles

An immensely versatile and talented artist, Mark O'Neill's paintings include landscapes, still life, portraiture and genre-scene paintings of interiors. In a 2006 sale of contemporary Irish art at Adam's Auctioneers of Dublin, Mark O'Neill sold 65 new paintings for a staggering €475,000 achieving a top sale price of €21,000 for ‘On the Rise, St. Paul de Vence’.

More Information About Visual Arts in Ireland

• For details of other contemporary painters and sculptors, see: Irish Artists: Paintings and Biographies.
• For more about contemporary art in Ireland, see: Irish Art Guide.

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