Murphy welcomes portrait artists to Stormont

Date published: 22 June 2021

The artistic pupils of St Brigid’s hit the headlines last year with their imaginative portraits of Stormont’s Executive Ministers.

The Finance Minister invited the children to visit the Stormont Estate where they met the First Minister, deputy First Minister, Agriculture, Education and Infrastructure Ministers to chat to them about their artwork and plans for the future.

Minister Murphy said: “The creative pupils of St Brigid’s Primary School lifted all our spirits during a challenging year. I wrote to them in November to congratulate them and told them when circumstances permitted they would have to come up to Stormont. It’s great that today has arrived and it is lovely to meet the children and the teachers behind the project.

“This has been a tough year for school children, especially for Primary 7 pupils, so I’m delighted to welcome the pupils and teachers here today to enjoy everything that the Stormont Estate has to offer.”

The P7 pupils were treated to a guided tour of the Stormont Estate, taking part in the Woodland and Bug Trails before making the most of the Mo Mowlam playpark.

Mary O’Kane, Principal at St Brigid’s Primary School welcomed the invitation which she says has been a high point for the pupils in their last few weeks of primary school. “This visit has been a highlight in our P7 calendar! Our art project certainly captured the Executive’s attention and it is great to see our Ministers taking the time to engage with the pupils. The art project has certainly sparked our P7’s interest in local politics and I hope this visit inspires them further as they move to post primary school. I’d like to thank Minister Murphy for the invitation as the visit to Stormont is a first for many of our pupils!”