Patrick Sarsfield artwork by Ken Coleman ‘Sarsfield’s Raid Reborn’ commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Limerick

Artist Ken Coleman had his artwork Patrick Sarsfield portrait unveiled on Saint Patrick’s Day at the Milk Market – pictured above are Andrea LaTouche, UL, Fionán Coughlan, RE:Story, artist Ken Coleman, Dr Loic Guyon, Director of the Sarsfield Homecoming Project and Richard Lynch, I Love Limerick. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Artist Ken Coleman unveiled his Patrick Sarsfield artwork on Saint Patrick’s Day at the Milk Market

Created by the acclaimed Limerick artist, ‘Sarsfield’s Raid Reborn’ commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Limerick and pays homage to Patrick Sarsfield’s heroism.

The Sarsfield Homecoming Project worked with RE:Story, a store in the Limerick Milk Market working and the University of Limerick to make the project a collaborative effort involving students and re-enactors who marched together in this year’s St Patricks Day parade in Limerick.

Andrea La Touche, President of the Postgraduate Student Union at University of Limerick, emphasised the significance of community collaboration in bringing the artwork to fruition, making it a memorable celebration on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Andrea said, “We collaborated with the Limerick Milk Market and brought the enactors to the parade to celebrate the unveiling of this painting, it’s been an amazing time and their collaborative piece with the students as well.”

Artist Ken Coleman gave an insight into the creative process behind his masterpiece, describing it as “a complete multimedia experience”.

Utilizing 3D models and historical references, Ken reconstructed Sarsfield’s likeness and the landscape, infusing the artwork with both realism and a classical feel.

“It was just a really fun project to work on because Fionán Coughlan of RE:Story actually gave me a 3D scanned model of the statue and then we met with Elliot who’s a descendant of Patrick Sarsfield. 

“Using some new photography applications we were able to blend the 17th-century and 18th-century paintings of Patrick Sarsfield with 3D models and Elliot’s portrait to come up with what we thought would look like a realistic rendering of what he could have looked like to create the face,” said Ken Coleman.

Fionán Coughlan of RE:Story said, “We have Sarsfield to thank for saving Limerick from destruction. Without him, we might not have had Saint Mary’s Cathedral or King John’s Castle and he saved this beautiful city so it’s great to just commemorate him today on Saint Patrick’s Day.”

WATCH A new art piece made by @Kenartcorp with Restory Limerick was unveiled as part of @UL St. Patrick’s Day festivities, to celebrate 333 years since the signing of the Treaty of Limerick and ongoing excavations in Belgium to repatriate the remains of Patrick Sarsfield to… pic.twitter.com/i5udjLiMp6— #LimerickandProud (@ilovelimerick) March 17, 2024

Also speaking at the event, Dr Loic Guyon director of the Sarsfield Homecoming Project said, “I’ve been working for the past three years and the project is in its final phase. At the moment we are excavating the site where I believe Patrick Southfield to be buried. 

“I’m actually flying back to Belgium next week with the archaeologist to the first grave and so within the next few months, we will find out whether the remains of Patrick Sarsfield are on this site or not.”

Find out more about the Patrick Sarsfield Homecoming project
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