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Cllr Deirdre Ferris with a sketch of her dad Martin at a preview of Mike O’Donnell’s upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
SO we’ve ‘Kojak’ to thank for this.
Who knew that a 70s cop show featuring a follically-challenged detective would set a pre-pubescent Tralee boy on a path that led him to a life in the arts.
Mike O’Donnell relayed this information to a gathering in The Mall Tavern on Friday night at a special preview of his upcoming exhibition of drawings, ‘Released’, taking place in Listowel during the month of February.
Mike told assembled friends that a scene involving a court artist in that popular TV show prompted him to take up sketching. First he tried drawing his brothers — but they wouldn’t sit still for him — and later he took his pad to Tralee courthouse.
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His talent has led him to attending many trials in Dublin over the past few decades and Mike previously held a court art exhibition, ‘Captured’, at King’s Inns, Dublin in 2011.
Mike had a small selection of the drawings which make up his latest exhibition at the bar on Friday and he gave a brief explanation of how his subjects came to sit for him.
Cllr Deirdre Ferris was at the preview where she saw the study of her dad, the former Kerry TD Martin Ferris, who sat for Mike a few weeks ago.
A few of the intimate studies of Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch, whose trial was held in April 2023, were also on show on Friday night.
It was just a teaser for the main event, ‘Released’ in St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre in Listowel for the entire month of February.
Jim Sheridan, the famed director of My Left Foot, The Field, In the Name of the Father and others, will be in Listowel on Saturday, February 3 at 1pm to launch the exhibition.
‘Released’ will be open for viewing at St. John’s from February 1 to February 29, Monday to Friday, between 10am and 5pm. Scroll down for photos…
Louise Lynch from St John’s Theatre with Joe Harrington and Kay O’Leary at a preview of Mike O’Donnell’s upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Eddie Barrett and Martin Schranz at a preview of Mike O’Donnell’s upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Gail Tangney and Anna Scanlon at a preview of Mike O’Donnell’s upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Conor Foley and Deirdre Ferris with Mike O’Donnell at a preview of his upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Trish Kelly and Breda Dyland at a preview of Mike O’Donnell’s upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Mike O’Donnell who gave a preview of his upcoming ‘Released’ exhibition in The Mall Tavern on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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