Artist John Farrelly celebrated in Newry's latest Mural

Our city's latest mural has just been completed this afternoon as part of Iur Cinn Fleadh in a tribute to the late Newry artist and writer John Farrelly.

The piece, an illustration by Farrelly from his book 'Farrelly's Field Guide to Irish Faerie Folk' is now immortalised on the gable wall of Theresa Hince and Nina West's home on Kilmorey Street.

Farrelly died in October 2025 and his friend Garry McElherron commissioned KVLR on behalf of the Fleadh as the perfect artist for the job.

Explaining a bit about Farrelly, McElherron said: "John wrote a book, he was mad into Irish folklore, and he's written books about Ireland, St Patrick, all these different things. He did MourneQuest with me years ago, and he helped design the board game and all the artwork, along with artist Alan Perry. Alan did the colouring of this -  it's originally a sketch from John's book 'Farrelly's Field Guide to Irish Faerie Folk' published by O'Brien Press, and the second edition of it just came out there earlier in the year. Unfortunately, John died last year in Evora Hospice, an amazing place, and he actually got married there to his wife Ellie." Sadly he passed away very shortly afterwards.

The mural is a legacy piece from Iur Cinn Fleadh. McElherron continued: "When we do the fleadh, we do a piece of art. We couldn't think of anything better than John's piece. I asked the family, and they were actually quite emotional about it, and thought it was a fantastic idea. The fleadh's just finished,  It was brilliant, and this is now the legacy piece. Hence signed 'Iúr Cinn Fleadh 26 KVLR'. But we've actually signed it with John's tag on there because it's John's piece of art, and that's how he signed his work. It was really good of KVLR to come and actually paint someone else's piece of work. A lot of people wouldn't, but it's a perfect tribute to John Farrelly."

McElherron added: "He was so talented, a very rare talent actually. A brilliant writer and an illustrator and an artist."

He loves the finished mural as it seems does everyone else! "The reaction of people has been fantastic. Just driving past, beeping and nodding and thumbs up. It's class, It'll be here for a good number of years to come, hopefully."

Kev Largey or KVLR is no stranger to murals and has just returned from a job in Malta where he painted in 42 degree heat at the Sliema Arts Festival. Speaking of the challenges of his Newry creation, which took four days to complete Largey said "It's a big mural, and it's quite high up so it was challenging. We had a good plan, obviously, with John's illustration that it was based on. That was another challenging part, because it's a different style, it's someone else's artwork and you have to get your way into thinking of how John worked. I think I did him justice, it's a blend between what I would do and and how John would approach things."

He added: "I was aware of his work - very, very talented, an influential artist. I only realised last night that he was that he did DNA Swamp."

McElherron added: "That freaked us out. John did that comic book 30 years ago, and it was trying to be Northern Ireland's first equivalent to 2000 AD, and he got top people to work on it. Frank Whiteley, Alan Grant did a piece. The artists he had on it were amazing. Probably one of his proudest days."

Theresa Hince is extremely impressed with her homes new art piece.  "I think it's absolutely fantastic. The best picture I've ever seen in my life on a wall."

Thanks to Iur Cinn Fleadh and previously Newry 2020 artwork has been added slowly but surely to the Newry landscape. This is mural number five but one was covered up when the new Merchant's Quay development was built.

Iur Cinn Fleadh and McElherron want to hear from anyone who would like to donate funds towards a mural or has a wall to put one on. McElherron explains: We want to be like Dundalk. Dundalk is phenomenal, there's about 27 or 28 murals down there, and they're all linked to the town, they've all a relevance to the town. I think that's what Newry needs more art just to brighten the place up like any other area."

McElherron reckons Farrelly would love his art immortalised on the new mural. "John's very self-effacing. He would probably point out something wrong. That bit's not right - I could just hear him here, just to annoy you! I think secretly he would be chuffed to bits, chuffled to bits - and it's John's art. I can see it written all over it. His very particular style, very scritchy, and KVLR's captured it in spades.  I love the tail boots, the way they're going, and the hat. The beard I love and the expression. There's just so many different elements. You'd actually swear this things was just going to run off the wall."

Check out KVLR on Instagram at KVLR_paints or website: www.kevlargey.com.

If you'd like to help get more murals in Newry either with funding or with a wall contact us at news@newry.ie and we will pass the info on.