Poetry in Motion Mural, Athy

In 2021, Athy Sing and Sign group, with funding from Creative Ireland, commissioned Cork artist Peter Martin to paint a mural at Boortmalt Wall near the canal bridge in Athy.

In the poem “Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin”, Patrick Kavanagh references a barge on the Grand Canal bringing supplies from Athy. This barge is famously known in Athy as barge 113B and was owned by the Hughes Family, a family that through generations worked on the canal as well as in the Minch Norton factory in the town.

The artwork celebrates the beautiful natural landscape surrounding the town and in particular the importance of nature in our current climate situation worldwide. This is referenced in the biodiversity garden at the bottom left of the composition where the monarch butterfly is located, the butterfly being a creature heavily affected by climate change, as well as being a symbol for the deaf community. The hope is for this piece of artwork to engage with people of all generations in Athy by examining its rich past while also looking to the future.