Art O'Murnaghan

Art O'Murnaghan (1872 – 8 July 1954) was an Irish artist, designer, actor, and polymath.

Early life and education Art O'Murnaghan was born Arthur Walter Murnaghan in 1872 in Southampton, England. His parents were Arthur and Rachel O'Murnaghan. His father was an official of the Ordnance Survey in Southampton, whose family were originally from Loughbrickland, County Down. His mother was Welsh. O'Murnaghan was educated at Southampton grammar school and went on to win a scholarship to Cambridge but he was unable to take up the scholarship, instead choosing to become an apprentice dispensing chemist for 4 years. He then went on to work at the Carnegie Public Library in Southampton, qualifying as a librarian.

Career Despite having no formal artistic training, O'Murnaghan moved to London to design floral wallpapers, with Liberty selling some of his designs. In 1898, he moved to Dublin and, embracing his Irish roots, changed his name to Art O'Murnaghan. He designed the cover of the 1932 Saorstat Eireann, the Irish Free State official handbook, which was edited by Bulmer Hobson.

Theatre work He worked as a set designer for Daisy Bannard Cogley in his Little Theatre on Harcourt Street, going on to become an actor, designer, composer and stage manager for the Gate Theatre. He appeared in at least 17 productions, and contributed scores to others. He acted as stage manager for 13 plays, and assistant art director of 7. He appeared in the films Odd man out and Another share. In 1936 he toured Egypt with the Gate Theatre company, retiring from the theatre the same year.

Later life and death O'Murnaghan was interested in archaeology, conducting some excavations at Newgrange, and compared the site with the Egyptian pyramids. He was also interested in theosophy and herbalism, visiting Tibet to study the Buddhist way of life. From 1936, he taught calligraphy in the National College of Art, and from 1939 taught the new class "Oriental design in Celtic ornament" which was later retired during the Emergency. O'Murnaghan applied to the Department of Education for a pension, but was refused on the basis that he was not a civil servant.

He married Madame K. Murnaghan, with whom he had 2 daughters and 4 sons. She was a niece of Alexander Williams and was a singer and musician. He died on 8 July 1954 in a Dublin hospital, and is buried in Mount Jerome cemetery. The National Gallery of Ireland holds a portrait of O'Murnaghan by Estella Solomons. He had written a memoir called Irons in the fire, which was destroyed following his death. The Ulster Museum holds some of his pastels and watercolours.