David Rooney

Since graduating from the National College of Art & Design, I have amassed well over thirty years experience as an artist and illustrator. As a contributor to The Irish Times and Hotpress my editorial work has reflected the tumultuous changes in Irish society. 

 

Internationally, the OECD (Paris) has regularly featured my work as has The Folio Society (London) who published several award-winning titles. Along with my long standing relationship with HotPress magazine and many years with The Irish Times, editorial illustration work has appeared in publications in the U.K., U.S., Germany and Japan. Several ICAD awards were won for commercial illustration work in the 1990s.

 

Work in recent years has focused mainly on cultural projects - The 5 part BBC series ‘The Story of Ireland’ featured 100 illustrations, Titanic Experience Belfast, King John’s Castle Limerick, Lindisfarne Gospels Exhibition Durham and the Stonehenge interpretative centre, Salisbury.

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The ‘1916 - Portraits and Lives’ book, published by the Royal Irish Academy, received the IDI Design Award for illustration. All 40 original portraits were acquired by the OPW for the State and exhibited in Kilmainham Gaol as part of the 2016 Centenary Celebrations. The exhibition toured internationally with Department of Foreign Affairs support to London, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Johannesburg.

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2024 saw the publication of my book 'The Story of the Great Irish Famine' by Gill books which drew on previous work from the BBC series 'The Story of Ireland' augmented by new work on the subject. There was much media attention and a great reaction from the public. 

 

Recent projects of note include the 'Ice Men' stamps for An Post, animated promos for ViaSat History Channel, illustration and animation work for Edinburgh Castle and a commemorative coin for Bram Stoker’s Dracula for the Central Bank of Ireland. Album artwork and animated video for Christy Moore's album 'Flying Into Mystery'. 

​I have also collaborated with Irish Post-Rock band God Is An Astronaut over the past few years creating several album covers and poster designs.

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Other recent work includes An Post stamps marking the 50th anniversary of Sydney Opera House, celebrating the RNLI and a Custom Guitar design for Shania Twain using pyrography.

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Whiskey work has become a passion of mine and I'm proud to have a few exceptional clients in that world including Midleton's Silent Distillery, their Dair Ghaelach range and also Ahascaragh Whiskey based not far from where I spent my formative years in East Galway.