Limerick based artist unveils Edna O’Brien portrait at university

LIMERICK-BASED artist Gerry Davis has created a portrait of renowned novelist, memoirist, playwright, and poet, Edna O’Brien (1930–2024).

The painting was unveiled at University College Cork (UCC) as part of the Women on Walls initiative celebrating pioneering women from Munster.

Born in Tipperary, Davis studied painting at the Limerick School of Art & Design from 2005 to 2009.

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A founding member of Wickham St Studios in Limerick, he has built a reputation for realist and imaginative work, often drawing on autobiographical experience and observations of contemporary life.

The Women on Walls project at UCC celebrates the achievements of 11 trailblazing women with links to Munster, following a public call that generated over 600 nominations in 2024.

Davis was selected, alongside artists Vanessa Jones, Vera Klute, and Julianne Guinee.

Speaking at the unveiling Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC, said: “We are deeply proud to unveil these portraits of extraordinary women at UCC today.

“Each of these trailblazers has shaped our society with courage, conviction, and a vision for a more inclusive and just world They have broken barriers, challenged convention, and redefined what leadership looks like.”

Accenture’s Women on Walls is a campaign that seeks to make women leaders visible through a series of commissioned portraits that will create a lasting cultural legacy for Ireland.