Diarmuid Byron-O'Connor

{{Short description|British artist (born 1964)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}

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| name = Diarmuid Byron-O'Connor

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1964|12|07}}

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| nationality = British

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| education = The John Fisher School

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| known_for = Sculpture

| notable_works = Chelsea School of Art

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Diarmuid Byron-O'Connor (born 7 December 1964) is a British artist, best known for his sculpture.

He attended the John Fisher School in Purley, with presenter Matthew Wright. In 1984, he started at art college in Bristol. In 1986 he joined "Changing Places", a community and environmental arts project, as a stone carver – leaving in 1988. In 1991 he studied conceptual fine art at Chelsea School of Art, London.

Starting a decorating firm, Byron-O'Connor worked evenings sculpting with wax at home. He was commissioned to create a statue of Peter Pan to stand outside Great Ormond Street Hospital{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/model-students-why-gcse-pupils-are-head-over-heels-about-sculpture-1716789.html|title=Model students: Why GCSE pupils are head over heels about sculpture|last=Hickc|first=Bill|date=25 June 2009|work=The Independent|accessdate=14 March 2011}} which was given the rights to the character by creator J. M. Barrie. Following the unveiling of this work and an exhibition of small bronzes in 2000, he built a studio for private commissions.{{cite web |url=http://www.gggallery.co.uk/artists/diarmuid_byron_oconnor.php?pg=1 |title=GGGallery - Gallery |accessdate=2011-12-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720124850/http://www.gggallery.co.uk/artists/diarmuid_byron_oconnor.php?pg=1 |archivedate=20 July 2011}} In 2005 he added a scale statue of Tinker Bell to the one of Peter Pan, unveiled by The Countess of Wessex.{{cite web|url=http://www.fairiesworld.com/tinkerbell1.shtml |title=The Great Ormond Street Hospital "Tinker Bell" by Diarmuid Byron-O'Connor |publisher=Fairiesworld.com |date=2005-09-29 |accessdate=2018-04-20}}

Byron-O'Connor's research into World War I led to him designing sets for BBC2's The Trench;{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_vt_trench_life.shtml |title=History - World Wars: Life in The Trenches Virtual Tour |publisher=BBC |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2018-04-20}} BBC1's The Somme - From Defeat to Victory;{{cite web |url=http://www.open2.net/thesomme/index.html |title=OU on the BBC: The Somme - From Defeat To Victory - OpenLearn - Open University |publisher=Open2.net |accessdate=2018-04-20 |archive-date=15 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915230438/http://www.open2.net/thesomme/index.html |url-status=dead }} and the Discovery Channel's Mud, Blood, and Tarmac. Whilst working on the set for BBC One's The Crafty Tricks of War he was asked to co present the series with Dick Strawbridge. He subsequently made Geronimo with Fearne Cotton for BBC1.{{cite web|url= http://www.dickstrawbridge.com/www.dickstrawbridge.com/Crafty_Tricks_of_War.html|title= Crafty Tricks of War|publisher= Dick Strawbridge|access-date= 3 December 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120301091505/http://www.dickstrawbridge.com/www.dickstrawbridge.com/Crafty_Tricks_of_War.html|archive-date= 1 March 2012|url-status= dead}}

File:Peter Pan in Clay Copyright D Byron-O'Connor 2000.jpg|The clay Peter Pan

File:Icarus by Byron-O'Connor.jpg|Icarus by Byron-O'Connor

File:Peter Pan Edition.jpg|Peter Pan limited edition]

File:Tinker Bell Bronze edition for GOSH.jpg|150 Limited edition bronze for Great Ormond Street Hospital