John’s library mural at St Kilian’s pays tribute to works of literature
ARTIST John Rooney took residence in St Kilian’s Junior Certificate Schools Programme library over the past weeks to decorate the wall with a 10 metre long mural.
Originally from Derry and now living in Berlin, Rooney’s art work was commissioned by the library as part of the drive to promote reading and print to all students of St Kilian’s.
The piece references classic works of fiction including Tolkien, Harry Potter, C.S Lewis and many others.
John was drawing on the wall for 18 hours over two days. Prior to that he was sketching and designing at home.
He was approached by art teacher Joan Murray to produce a literary theme. As he was drawing, some students askked for requests and some were granted, including an Orc from Lord of the Rings, a mockingbird, and Captain America shield.
Yes, all work was done while the students worked and read in the library below him. It was his first job in a school and he was concerned that the students might heckle him; instead he found them to be great fun and a source of inspiration.
The mural is proving to be a huge hit with the students and a further inspiration to get reading at St Kilian’s.
There are 30 JCSP libraries across the country. These high quality libraries are staffed by a full time librarian to produce a creative learning space designed to increase literacy levels and provide an enhanced learning experience.