Portrait Street Artist Jossiepops Paints Gold Olympian Rhys McClenaghan at Newtownards

Описание: Hi Everyone
I drove over to Newtownards this morning to film the latest stunning portrait piece, by noted street artist Jossiepops from Bangor.

This latest gable wall mural, pays deserved tribute, to the amazing sporting achievements of pommel horse supremo, gold Olympian, Rhys McClenaghan.

Rhys was born and grew up in Newtownards and still trains in a gym, under the shadow of the famous Scrabo Tower. In the coming days Rhys, already an MBE will be further honoured by receiving the freedom of the Borough.
Over the past few years Rhys McClenaghan has become a global sporting superstar as an artistic gymnast. He remains deeply connected to his roots. He has competed internationally both for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. He is widely recognised as one of the best pommel horse specialists of his generation.

Street artist Johnnh Hamilton, who paints under the name Jossiepops, collaborated with the Ards business community to create a large-scale mural celebrating the local Olympic gold medalist. Indeed it has been completed just in time to coincide with Rhys being awarded the freedom of the borough.

The full gable wall mural is located beside the Precinct Shopping mall on South Street, one of the main arterial routes leading into Newtownards town centre.

Battling against high winds and heavy rain, Jossiepops managed to finish the mural on Tuesday afternoon, January 20 2026.
Speaking about the project, Jossiepops said: “I’ve been pursuing this piece for quite some time. It always had to be painted in Ards, but it was a case of finding the right location and the right way to fund it.
Partnering with the local business community felt like the most natural approach, a true collaboration and a way of giving something back. The ultimate finishing touch would be for Rhys himself to visit and hand-sign the mural.”

Rhys Joshua McClenaghan
(born 21 July 1999) is an artistic gymnast from Northern Ireland who competes internationally both for Ireland and Northern Ireland. McClenaghan is widely recognised as one of the best pommel horse specialists of his generation.

He is the 2024 pommel horse Olympic champion and the first gymnast to win an Olympic medal for Ireland. McClenaghan is also a double world champion on the pommel horse, having won gold in 2022 and 2023. He is the first Irish artistic gymnast to win world championship gold, having also been the first Irish gymnast to win a world medal with bronze in 2019. He is a three-time European champion representing Ireland (2018, 2023, 2024) and a Commonwealth Games champion representing Northern Ireland. McClenaghan was the first Irish gymnast to compete in a European final and also the first to win any European medal. He is the only gymnast to become Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion on a single apparatus.

McClenaghan was named RTÉ's Sportsperson of the Year for 2023. Along with dance partner Laura Nolan he won the 8th series of Dancing with the Stars in March 2025.

He missed all gymnastic competitions in 2025 due to injury.

Early life
McClenaghan was born in Newtownards, County Down, to Tracy, a nursery school teacher, and Danny McClenaghan, a builder. He has an older brother, Elliot.

By age six, he already displayed a precocious aptitude for gymnastics and started training at Rathgael Gymnastics Club in Bangor. McClenaghan later attended Regent House School in Newtownards. He has been coached by close friend Luke Carson for many years.

Career
As an athlete from Northern Ireland, McClenaghan is eligible to compete for either Great Britain or Ireland in international competition, and for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games only. Though he competed in the British gymnastics system as a youth, he opted to compete for Ireland in international competition, saying, "Gymnastics Ireland supported me the most, and that’s what made me go that route."

Well done Rhys!!
And well done Jossiepops! for shining an artistic public spotlight on this very humble young man and his remarkable world class achievements.