John Cassidy

Who was John Cassidy?

John Cassidy, Irish sculptor and painter, was born in Littlewood Commons, Slane, County Meath. He moved to Dublin at the age of 20 to find work. In Dublin he attended art classes at night and won a scholarship to study in Milan, Italy. After two years he moved to Manchester, England where he lived for the rest of his life. He created many public sculptures, especially war memorials and exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Royal Hibernian Academy and in Manchester City Art Gallery.

Many of his works are in the Manchester district including three in the John Rylands Library, Deansgate, M3. For most of his career his studio was at Lincoln Grove in Chorlton on Medlock. He died at St Joseph's Hospital in Whalley Range in 1939 and was buried in Southern Cemetery.