Crescent Past Pupils Union purchase Terry Wogan portrait by Barbara Hartigan

Crescent Past Pupils Union purchase Terry Wogan portrait by Barbara Hartigan which will see proceeds donated to Samaritans. Jeannie O’Malley, CPPU, Barbara Hartigan, Leslie Hartigan, Dermot Maher, CPPU, Diarmuid Mullins, Crescent Principal, Lorraine Thornbury, Samaritans, Philip Spillane, Samaritans, Peter Doyle CPPU

Crescent Past Pupils Union (PPU) purchased a portrait of Crescent Past pupil Terry Wogan, signed by both the artist Barbara Hartigan and Terry Wogan  

Well known Limerick artist Barbara Hartigan recently announced she would sell her many portrait paintings of famous people provided buyers donated a fee to a nominated charity.

Crescent Past Pupils Union (PPU) agreed to purchase the portrait of Crescent Past pupil Terry Wogan which uniquely is signed by both the artist Barbara Hartigan and Terry Wogan.  

The PPU donated €500 to the Samaritans in Limerick and €500 to the school Pyjamas Appeal in support of the Jesuit Refugee Service. The donation to the Samaritans was made in memory of our former school French and History teacher Carmel O’Farrell who passed away in April last year.

Dermot Maher President of the PPU thanked Barbara Hartigan for her generous act in donating the fee to our nominated charities and to Peter Doyle for suggesting the purchase of the painting for the school.  

Fantastic Assembly today where we welcomed our past pupil union president Dermot Maher who presented a portrait of past pupil Sir Terry Wogan to the school pic.twitter.com/Mo7JFUZJ5P— Crescent College Comprehensive SJ (@SjCrescent) March 15, 2024

Dermot hoped the painting would honour Terry Wogan, one of the Crescent school’s most famous past pupils and inspire many pupils to consider a career in broadcasting.

Terry Wogan, a Limerick native, was a famous television and radio broadcaster who worked for the BBC in England most of his life.

He passed away in 2016 and is remembered for his witty commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest and his daily breakfast radio programme on BBC 2 from 1972 to 1984 which achieved record audiences of 7.9 million. Limerick has seen the legendary broadcaster remembered through a statue on Harvey’s Quay.

Barbara Hartigan announced in 2023 she would be donating the proceeds of her life’s work to charity; a collection of signed portraits of some famous people including Terry Wogan, Jimmy Carr, and Dolly Parton to name three of the 70 total.

The Limerick artist has welcomed collectors, businesses, and other groups to purchase portraits in a bid to raise funds for charities, with all funds going to charity.

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