The Irish American artist who crafted Ogham gifts for Micheál Martin and Zohran Mamdani

An ancient Irish alphabet created a new connection between Ireland and New York City last month when custom artwork by a Connecticut artist was presented to the Taoiseach and the Mayor during a gathering at New York Irish Center. 

Colleen Berry Conway, co-owner and primary artist of Southington-based Ogham Art, was commissioned by New York Irish Center to create two custom Ogham prints presented to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during their visit to the Center in Long Island City on Wednesday, September 23. 

The Taoiseach was in New York for the UN General Assembly High-Level Week when he joined Mayor Mamdani at the New York Irish Center. During the visit, the two leaders met members of the Center’s senior community, shared lunch, and took turns calling numbers during the weekly bingo gathering. 

The personalized framed Ogham Art prints featured each leader’s surname, “Martin” and “Mamdani,” translated into the ancient Ogham alphabet, with “Presented by New York Irish Center” inscribed across the bottom.

Ogham is the earliest known form of writing in Ireland and was used to record Primitive Irish, the oldest written form of the Gaelic languages. Surviving Ogham inscriptions, primarily dating from the 4th to 6th centuries, are found on stones throughout Ireland and parts of Britain. 

The custom work brought an alphabet rooted in ancient Ireland into a distinctly modern moment, connecting an Irish Taoiseach, a New York City mayor, an Irish-American cultural institution, and a Connecticut artist. For Mamdani, whose city has been shaped by generations of immigrants and the many languages and cultures brought with them, the personalized Ogham offered a uniquely Irish connection to the community he serves.

“In preparation for our visit from An Taoiseach and the Mayor of New York, I wanted a gift that truly resonates and connects with the deep history of Ireland in the most unique way," George C. Heslin, Executive Director of New York Irish Center, said.

“In my opinion, Ogham Art does exactly that.” 

Conway,  who has roots in Co Kerry and Co Westmeath, said: “Ogham Art has always been about creating a connection between the past and the present.

“It is a privilege to be part of this significant occasion that brought together Ireland, New York and the Irish community whose shared history has linked them for generations.”

The commission was especially meaningful for Conway, whose connections to New York’s Irish community extend well beyond her artwork. She previously spent three years as Director of Operations for the Irish Business Organization of New York, building relationships throughout the city’s Irish and Irish American business and cultural communities.