Background
Also known as PH Marrinan or Patrick H. Marrinan, he was born in Belfast, Ireland.
Also known as PH Marrinan or Patrick H. Marrinan, he was born in Belfast, Ireland.
He contracted poliomyelitis at the age of five years and for several years, he could not walk. Virtually self-taught as an artist, he was privately educated as his ailment prevented public schooling. Marrinan painted landscapes in Antrim, Kerry, Connemara and Donegal as well as numerous portraits of family, which are held in private collections.
He painted the Stations of the Cross for Street Colman"s Church, Lambeg, County Antrim, and "Our Lady of Belfast" is in Holy Cross Church, Ardoyne, Belfast.
He was also well known for literary portraits of Brian Friel, Padraic Fiach and Joseph Tomelty. His 1934 charcoal drawing of Robert Johnson, an Irish Fenian, is now placed in the National Gallery of Ireland.
He was commissioned to paint portraits of Éamonn Ceannt and John F. Kennedy by the Republic of Ireland"s Department of Defence and the County Clare association in London, respectively. He held his first solo exhibition in 1951 at the Donegal Place Gallery, the paintings displayed there showing a change of direction for Marrinan.
The theme was the legends of Ireland, painted with sweeping, colourful evocations of folklore figures.
He named William Orpen and John Lavery as influences and also claimed American comic strip artist, Bud Fisher as an important influence in his youth. His painting of a Belfast musician standing in a doorway, called "Ukulele Laddie" featured in a 1930 exhibition at the Ulster Academy of Arts and was praised by Hungarian artist, Philip de Laslo. Marrinan married Phyllis Meyler in later life and lived in Omagh, County Tyrone, where he resided until his death.
Article on Padraig Marrinan at Spiritus-Temporis.com based on this Wikipedia article.