John Farrelly – RIP
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Irish cartoonist, caricaturist, and illustrator John Farrelly has passed away.
John Farrelly
ca. 1969 – October 31, 2025
Mr. Farrelly entered hospice care a month ago after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He was widely recognised for his Deadly Irish History book series, published by O’Brien Press.
A death notice said he passed away peacefully at the Evora Hospice in Newry on Friday, surrounded by his family.
His other works included Farrelly’s Field Guide to Irish Faerie Folk, which was published last year.
In a light-hearted tribute, publisher O’Brien Press said Mr Farrelly was “a man who always did a full day’s work – just spread out over the full week.”
John Farrelly was a comic artist but was talented in a variety of styles.
For downthe tubes Peter Duncan of Sector 13 profiles John Farrelly on his passing:
John was a superb writer and artist, with a twinkle in his eye and a sense of humour that shone through in all of his work.
In the 1990s he was part of the teams that created Northern Ireland based anthologies NutScrewsWashersNBolts and DNA Swamp, for which he created the “Long Coat and Leather Jacket” series that he was always hoping to go back to.
His internet strip, Captain Wonder, told the story of a middle-aged man who dons a costume in order to save his beloved comic-book shop. John would eventually self-publish two issues of the adventures of the good captain himself.
While never giving up on comics, John turned to different outlets. He wrote a Zombie novel, set during the American Civil War which he self-published, The Legend of Navin Holt – Zombie Hunter, and three wonderful, heavily-illustrated history books for O’Brien Press in a series called, “Deadly Irish History” covering, The Celts, The Vikings and The Normans.
His next project was, Farrelly’s Field Guide to Irish Faerie Folk, published just last year, which included some of his very best illustration work, drawn sort of vintage gothic style, as part of a guide to the strange magical creatures that inhabit the Island of Ireland.
More of Farrelly’s artistry can be seen at his website and his Facebook page.
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