Young Roscommon artist wins prestigious national award
Conor O'Connell with his award-winning painting 'umha aois' at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts. Also in the picture is artist James Hayes who appears in Conor's painting.
Ballaghaderreen artist Conor O’Connell has been awarded one of Ireland’s most prestigious accolades for emerging painters by The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts.
Conor has won the Homan Potterton prize for his work 'umha aois'.
He was announced as the winner at the opening of the Hennessy Craig + Homan Potterton award exhibition on Thursday at the RHA in Dublin.
Introduced in 2024, the Homan Potterton Prize was established through a generous bequest from the late Homan Potterton, former Director of the National Gallery of Ireland and one of the country’s foremost art historians.
The prize honours a painter under thirty five years of age whose work reflects the enduring traditions of figurative or landscape painting.
Conor, who has already won several awards for his work, said he was “absolutely delighted” to win such a major arts prize.
Son of Aisling and Pat from Kilcolman, he is a former student at St. Nathy’s College.

