Born in Drumcondra in 1918, Diarmuid Larkin, son of building contractor, Sean Larkin, entered the National College of Art in 1941. Having exhibited at the RHA in 1942 his artistic skills were awarded in his final year at NCAD in the form of a scholarship from the Spanish Government. However, having decided that art education was his vocation, he began full-time teaching in 1953 at Ballinasloe Vocational School. Larkin later held a position in Mullingar VS and Dun Laoghaire Technical College.

Over the next few years, Larkin developed a special art course for students which was subsequently recognized by the VEC and the Department of Education. This in turn led to the establishment of the Dun Laoghaire School of Art. He wrote a book e...