New Kinney mosaic mural – Tír na nÓg / Oisín and Niamh

Among the late Desmond Kinney’s mosaic murals are the 1974 Setanta or Táin Wall (it’s the banner above; see that page on this blog) and the 1987 Sweeney Astray / Mad Sweeney (see the “Buile Shuibhne mural destroyed” entry on this post below). His son and daughters, Nicholas, Clare and Maeve, continue his work as Kinney Design in Belfast. Their most recent piece depicts Niamh enticing Oisín to go with her to Tír na nÓg, the Land of Youth. It was installed recently in MISA (Mercer Institute for Successful Ageing) House at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. It’s in an airy, well-lit open space that is not strictly speaking open to the public, so if you don’t have grey hair or wrinkles you might have to lie about your age or pretend you’re just looking for the toilet. Photographs are not encouraged. I got special permission from the hospital to take these, and they are posted here with the encouragement of the artists.

Click to enlarge.