Hello, I am a cartoonist, book illustrator and lecturer based in Dublin, Ireland. Thank you for visiting my website.

POLITICAL CARTOONS

Over the past 15 years, my political cartoons have appeared regularly in Magill Magazine and trade union magazines such as Work & Life, the magazine of IMPACT trade union, the journal of the new amalgamated ‘super union’ FÓRSA as well as in publications of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). I also drew  regular cartoons for VOX Magazine from 2016 to 2021.

 

Magazine illustration for VOX Magazine

 

Some of my political cartoons can be seen on the international political cartoon website Cartoon Movement. My Evolution of the Irish Economy cartoon has been published in a German-language schoolbook by the publishers Klett.  I provided the cartoons for the covers of the Little Book of Irish Political Bullshit and the Little Book of Bailout Bullshit, both by J.D Mangan. I participated in a Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interactions Institute study about how professional cartoonists create cartoons based on news content and the process used to summarize data in news articles. Two of my Donald Trump cartoons appear in the Donald Trump through the eyes of world artists portrait album, published by the Union of World Cartoonists. My ‘Free Market Correcting Itself’ cartoon appears in the 2021 edition of the Griffith Book of Investigative Journalism. 

 

Political cartoon for Fórsa Magazine

 

ILLUSTRATION

Other projects include illustrations for Release Prison Partnership, in-company presentation cartoons and caricatures for Irish Distillers and townscape mug design illustrations for the café Coffee Central in Athlone – as well as a series of cartoons for Teagasc – the National Agriculture & Food Development Authority. 

I illustrated the Irish-language children’s book Dhá Chluas Chapaill ar Labhraí Loingseach by Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair, published by Cló Mhaigh Eo –  and the language text book Enjoy Irish, by the same author. I also provided the cartoons for the Irish-language activities book for teachers, Gníomhaíochtaí Gasta, which is published by Gaelchultúr and can be purchased here. I have illustrated greeting cards for Creative Bond Cards and cartoons of mine have been published in Midlands Arts and Culture Magazine and Rabble. 

In the past I also did educational cartoons for King’s College, Spain and science-fiction/fantasy illustrations such as this one, which can be seen on the website of the Hugo award-winning author Michael Swanwick.

 

Irish-language children’s book ‘Dhá Chluas Capaill ar Labhraí Loingseach’

 

WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS & EXHIBITIONS

I  have given several ‘how to draw comics’ workshops, in both English and Irish, at schools, youth clubs and festivals in Dublin and around Ireland; such as Kylemore College,  iScoil and the Blue Fire Street Fest.

I have participated in the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 editions of the  Galway Cartoon Festival.   In the 2018 festival I had political cartoons on display at the ‘Peace To End All Peace’ exhibition at the Black Gate Cultural Centre and at the general exhibition in the Galway Town Hall Theatre. In the 2019 festival I had cartoons in the Tarraing é i nGaeilge (‘Draw it in Irish’) exhibition of Irish-language cartoons at Tribeton and in the Climate Change themed section of the festival. In the 2020, 2021 & 2022 festivals I had work in the Irish-language section of the festival in Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaíne (arts centre) on Inis Oírr. In the 2023 Festival I gave an illustrated talk on the portrayal of Irish people as apes and monkeys in 19th-century British and American cartoons.

 

Galway Cartoon Festival 2018

 

I  had a solo exhibition of political cartoons in the Bastion Gallery in Athlone as part of the 2011 Athlone Literary Festival.  I have also given several presentations of my political cartoons and illustrations at the Kilmainham Arts Club.

 

Kilmainham Arts Club 2014

 

BACKGROUND

I am originally from Athlone, in the Irish Midlands. I lived in Madrid for many years, where I studied illustration at the Escuela Superior de Dibujo Profesional (ESDIP) . I now live in Kilmainham, Dublin. I  completed an MPhil in Textual & Visual Studies at Trinity College Dublin, where I wrote a thesis on ‘19th Century Irish ‘Ape-Man’ Cartoons and the Aesthetic of the Grotesque’. 

As well as working as a cartoonist and illustrator I lecture at Dublin Business School, where I teach Irish Studies.  

 

Lockdown 2020 Sketching, at home in Kilmainham

 

INTERVIEWS & MEDIA

• IMAGE magazine article, ‘Cartoon Activists: meet some of Ireland’s best’.
• Advertister newspaper article, ‘Donal Casey: midlands artist making waves with political cartoons’.
• Wisconsin Public Radio, Ideas Network, Irish Politics, Economics & Culture.
• Soul Waves Radio Broadcasting Faith, Justice & Social Issues, ‘From Atheist to Alpha’.
• Westmeath Independent feature article, ‘Laughing Matter: Athlone native Donal Casey draws inspiration from the world of comics and politics for his cartoon art’.
• The Daily Edge article, Cartoonist recovers stolen pieces from train.
• Westmeath Independent newspaper article, Athlone man’s joy as missing cartoons recovered.
• Irish Comics Wiki
• Irish Times book review for Dhá Chluas Capaill ar Labhraí Loingseach.

TESTIMONIALS

• “There is a warmth to Donal’s work that is engaging – a vivacity and divilish optimism that is refreshing in an age of snide cynicism.” 

Manchán Magan, author and television presenter

• “Donal is a gifted cartoonist with a sharp eye for lampooning the excess and vanities of those in public life. He’s also very good at developing a brief, providing fully formed concepts that address contemporary issues. A thoughtful and considered illustrator, he has produced a satirical cartoon strip or panel for every issue of the quarterly members’ publication ‘Work & Life’ since 2008, as well as a number of feature illustrations.”
• Niall Shanahan, Communications Officer – Fórsa Trade Union

• “Donal is a highly skilled professional and a pleasure to work with”

Colmán Ó Raghallaigh, Director – Cló Mhaigh Eo (Irish-language book publisher) 

• “Donal Casey’s political cartoons are unique, insightful and humorous “

Fionnuala O’Conner  – Athlone Literary Festival

• “There is no doubt either that young readers will be charmed by the full-colour illustrations by Donal Casey; they are excellent.”

Pól Ó Muirí – Irish Times: writing about the Irish-language children’s book Dhá Chluas Capaill ag Labhraí Loingseach.

• “Donal was the cartoonist on our Irish Language course book  ‘Enjoy Irish’ . I recommend him highly for the quality of his work, its uniqueness, clarity and his delivery of the service required on time.”

Liam Ó Cuinneagáin, Director –Oideas Gael 

• “Donal created four illustrations for CreativeBond’s My IOU to You gift voucher. He delivered the illustrations on time for a good price and I was delighted with them. I’d be very happy to recommend Donal to anyone.”

Lindsay Bond O’Neill  – Director,  Creative Bond – Greeting Cards.

 

•  “Donal Casey’s workshop for children on ‘How to Draw a Comic Strip’ was pitched at exactly the right level for my seven and eight-year-olds and was very enjoyable for all. With Donal’s guidance we produced some great comic strips of our own!”

Jennifer Porter – Teacher, St Thomas’ Junior National School, Dublin

• Donal Casey facilitated a workshop in comic book illustration & design with small group of our students. I met with Donal beforehand to make him aware of our requirements and the specific needs of our students. I was very impressed by how much Donal took on board from this meeting and he even researched topics for stories that were in line with our FETAC specific learning outcomes and students’ interests (not an easy task). On the day Donal was a pleasure to watch teaching the students. He is obviously a master of his craft of illustration but can also draw the students’ creativity out gradually without being too demanding which is a very difficult balance to strike. The students’ comic book strips in the end were of a very high standard but more importantly the students really seemed to enjoy the workshop. Donal also followed up very quickly afterwards by  sending on digital images of the students’ drawings as well as returning their originals. I would very much like to work with Donal again in the future and would recommend his workshops to any school or youth organisation. 

 Joanne Frawley – Education Officer at iScoil

• Donal Casey has presented a number of caricature workshops to our Youth Club. The workshops were two hours long and kept the children amused and entertained for the entire duration, so much so that the older group even refused to take a break for the tuck shop! The children chose a famous person and with Donal’s assistance and advice produced some very original and witty caricatures. Everyone had a great evening and we look forward to having Donal back to give another workshop. 

Siobhán Osborne – Killester Youth Club, DublinI thought that Donal Casey’s workshop gave me a great insight into caricatures and drawing. It was fun but mostly I enjoyed the finished result.

Daniel Mullarkey, workshop participant – DCAF Dublin Christian Arts Festival

• Thug Donal Ceardlann Cartúin do Rang Seoige atá sa tríú bliain le linn seachtain na Gaeilge i gColáiste na Coille Móire i mbliana. Thús sé leis an t-ábhar go leir a bhí de dhith. Is in nGaeilge a labhar sé leis na daltaí. Chuir sé a chuid Gaeilge in oiriúint do chaighdeán na ndaltaí agus mar sin bhí cumarsáid an mhaith ar siul sa cheardlann. Bhain na daltaí an taitneamh agus tairbhe as.Thaitin sé leo a bheith ag tarraint scigphictiúirí de pholatóirí leo.  Bheadh an múinteoir ealaíne, Sandra Dempsey, sásta cuireadh ar ais a thabhairt do Dhónal. Gan amhras ar bith molaim Donal Casey as ucht a ghairmiúlacht agus as an t-ullmhúcáin a rinne sé ag réiteach don cheardlann.

• Bláithín Ní Liatháin – Kylemore College

• ‘”Dublin-based artist Donal Casey came to help us illustrate our Make a Book project. Using the short story we had written he helped the students to come up with some visuals to go with it. Each student illustrated a part of the story, using sketch pencils and colours. His gentle manner and encouragement inspired all of them to excel at this, and now they are writers AND illustrators. Donal created an atmosphere of mutual respect and co-operation which was lovely to see and I would highly recommend him to any school.”

Siobháin Boyce – Coláiste Eoin, Finglas

 

R2 & I – Photograph: Rob Dight