John Coll was born in 1956. After an initial career as a marine biologist working in Connemara, John turned to his passion for making sculpture. His deep interest in our marine environment continues to inspire many of his works.

Since making his career change thirty years ago he has emerged as one of Ireland’s leading figurative sculptors, producing iconic works such as the monument to the poet Patrick Kavanagh on the banks of the Grand Canal at Baggott Street in Dublin. Other large scale works include a monument to Countess Markievicz at Rathcormac, Co Sligo and a celebration in bronze of the Dublin writer Brendan Behan on the Royal Canal at Dorset Street in Dublin.

He has completed two large scale equestrian pieces including a portrait of the race horse Bobbyjo in Mountbellew, Co Galway and a 4.5 meter “Ancestral Quadriga” bronze piece for a private client.

John is an accomplished portraitist and has sculpted images of the actress Siobhan Mc Kenna and the writers Benedict Kiely, Francis Stewart, Paul Durcan and John Montague among others.

His work is to be found in many collections including the Bank of Ireland, National Museum, Collins Barracks, The National Library of Ireland Collection, NUI Galway, Boston College, Stanford University, California, USA and the Great Famine Museum, Quinnipiac University, New York, USA.