Mark O'Neill (b.1963)
The contemporary Irish painter and illustrator Mark O'Neill was born in Lancashire in 1963. After a childhood, spent in Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Malta and London, he was taught fine art painting and drawing at the Kingston College of Art, from where he graduated with first class Honours. He achieved notable success as a commercial illustrator for companies such as Harrods, Guinness, Southern Comfort and Royal Mail as well as numerous publishers.

However, in his late 20s, he returned to his maternal family's hometown of Tullamore, County Offaly, to take up painting full time of still life, landscape, and genre scene interiors. O'Neill currently lives and works in County Wexford.

After returning to Ireland Mark O'Neill first showed at the Forge Gallery in County Louth and this was followed by shows at the Frederick Gallery in Dublin. In addition, he took part in the Wexford Art Show, held in conjunction with the Annual Wexford Opera Festival.

He has won many awards at exhibitions including the Arnotts National Portrait Exhibition in Dublin, and the "Artist for Future Appreciation Award" at the annual Royal Hibernian Academy Exhibition. In 1998, half a dozen of Mark's pictures were included in "Ireland: Crossing Borders", an exhibition of Irish art at Gallery Revel in New York.

Source:
Online Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-artists/mark-oneill.htm