Write a comment
The world is a little bit less magical today, after the death of Newry man John Farrelly at Evora Hospice on Friday past, 31 October following a period of illness.
John was much more than a uniquely talented artist and author - his imagination was without limit! Growing up in Killean in south Armagh, an area steeped in local myths and legends would certainly have helped. The skill and passion he had for his craft and his relaxed and unhurried way with people made him a delight to have as part of your event, whether that was drawing caricatures for a steady stream of youngsters at Iur Cinn Fleadh or producing exactly the illustration that was needed in double quick time for a publication.
John's skillset extended to books, cartoons, illustrations and caricatures. He wrote a Zombie novel The Legend of Navin Holt back in 2011 and later published three books on The Vikings, The Celts and The Normans in his 'Deadly Irish History' series. Just a year ago he published Farrelly's Field Guide to Irish Faerie Folk, a magnificently illustrated book with wonderfully named characters such as the Leanan Sídhe, the Marbh Bheo and An Fear Gorta.
The fact he passed away on Halloween itself seems fitting considering how much material from around this time of the year contributed to his ideas and illustrations. Farrelly's Field Guide was a complete labour of love for him and indeed it did take quite some time to get completed. When Newry.ie interviewed him about the book in October 2024 his enthusiasm was clear to see and like all the best storytellers it was hard to separate the fiction from the fact. Like the chicken and the egg, I never quite knew which came first - did the story come from his incredible illustration or did the illustration come from the story. If 'Great Grand Uncle Fantasius' from South Armagh wasn't real he really should have been! He certainly was 'some boyo' as they'd say in the country.
Tributes
'John helped us all to see something of the magic that lay within us and the world around us'
John always had time to call by local schools and as a past pupil of the Abbey CBS he had called there to mark World Book Day in March this year.
A spokesperson for the Abbey said "The Abbey Grammar is extremely saddened to learn of the death of one of its past pupils and frequent visitors, John Farrelly. Having attended the Abbey in the 1980s John went on to carve out a career as a caricaturist, cartoonist and writer. He achieved significant success with his ‘Deadly Irish History’ series with O’ Brien Press and was often found in schools across the country discussing his work and divulging the odd secret or two on how to create illustrations. His work appeared in many comics and magazines including Viz.
"Last Year he published ‘Farrelly’s Field Guide to Irish Faerie Folk’ to great acclaim and was delighted before his death to hear that it was going to a reprint. He took great inspiration from illustrators and poster designers such as Bernie Wrightson and Drew Struzan and was very grateful to his Abbey Art teacher, Mrs Oonagh Byrne, for her guidance and attention. Indeed he was delighted to meet her again in his final days.
They added "Having witnessed the great outpouring of sadness at his recent illness he would have been overjoyed to know how well respected and admired he was as an artist and person. Professionally he went by the name ‘Captain Wonder’ and whether it was by pencil or pen, John helped us all to see something of the magic that lay within us and the world around us. He will be greatly missed."
Compassion and Thoughtfulness
Captain Wonder his comic shop superhero was just one of many comic book illustrations where his humour shone through. A spokesperson from Sector 13 Comics said "John’s comics were a reflection of the man I knew. Funny, intelligent and with compassion and thoughtfulness, which is rare in the medium."
Artists leave the world a little more beautiful and a little more fun than they found it
Internet personality Jason Gaston paid his own heartfelt tribute to John. "I am saddened beyond measure by the passing of John Farrelly. This talented artist created this picture of me unsolicited and sent it to me as a gift. To this day, it hangs in my hallway as one of my favorite things ever. Artists leave the world a little more beautiful and a little more fun than they found it and I will always be grateful and thankful that John decided to use his artistic talents on me for good and not for evil."
A cremation service was held for John today in Dublin.
Newry.ie would like to express our condolences to his entire family circle and many friends.
