- Brian Mór Ó Baoighill.
The artist and lifelong Irish Republican activist, Brian Mór Ó Baoighill, died Sunday after being admitted to hospital. He was 70.
A New York native, Ó Baoighill was internationally famous for his works of art, many of them depicting Irish history and the Irish freedom struggle.
Several of his works appeared in the Irish Echo over the years, including one especially poignant illustration in the aftermath of 9/11.
Ó Baoighill, known as "Bernie" to his friends, was active in Irish Northern Aid from its start and joined the organization's newspaper, the Irish People, in 1972. He was an officer of Cumann na Saoirse and, prior to his death, was putting together a retrospective of his Republican and Irish American art covering the past 30 years.
More than once, Brian Mór said he considered the high point of his journalistic endeavors came when he was being denounced in the House of Lords and Commons for his satirical cartoon art. He was one of the founders of "Behind the Green Curtain" on New York's WBAI radio. The show eventually became Radio Free Eireann. He was an active contributor to the broadcast until his death.
In the more commercial realm, Ó Baoighill designed album covers for the likes of Black 47, Joanie Madden, Cherish the Ladies and Seanchie. He designed a coat of arms for "Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown, illustrated Christmas cards, and designed a line of Irish china. His artwork hangs in the Bloody Sunday Museum in Derry.
His poster memorializing Theobald Wolfe Tone and The United Irishman, first displayed in New York City Hall, was recently mounted in place of a picture of Queen Elizabeth in Belfast City Hall. While he railed against it being hung in a government office in an Ireland still under British rule, he also acknowledged that it was somehow fitting that it should be there.
Ó Baoighill's wake will be held today, Wednesday, 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Robert Spearing Funeral Home, 155 Kinderkamack Road, Park Ridge, NJ. The funeral Mass will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady Mother of the Church, 209 Woodcliff Avenue, Woodcliff Lake, NJ.
Tributes to appear on the www.irishfreedom.net website should be sent to Tom Costello at tomcostello@optonline.net.
