Sionna, the goddess of the River Shannon, is the inspiration behind the latest Limerick mural that’s catching the public’s eye as they walk and drive to and from the city centre.
The giant mural spread across a gable on Bridge Street is part of an ongoing programme by Limerick City and County Council to improve the appearance disused city sites.
The local authority has collaborated on this project with Limerick Civic Trust to transform the disused property into a public amenity. A self-funding charity, the Civic Trust undertakes projects for the general improvement of Limerick’s environment.
The mural of Sionna is located at one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city which is directly across from the 12th century St. Mary’s Cathedral.
It is the second phase of the rehabilitation of the site; with phase one having commenced in the summer with the clearing of the site and development of a public amenity garden. The third and final phase will be the planting of a scented garden next spring.
The mural was designed and painted by Bold Details – two Limerick School of Art & Design students, Cormac Dillon and Jonathan Noonan, who are also urban artists in a private capacity.
Council architect Maria Donoghue said that as the landscaping works on the site were being completed, the opportunity to include a mural presented itself.
“Bold Details certainly responded to the task to create something simple, relevant and striking for this site that is so closely located near St Mary’s Cathedral,” she explained.
“The site is in a very strategic location between Medieval Limerick and the Georgian grid, and this wall acts as a link between the two. Borrowing from Georgian architecture, which sometimes features Greek or Roman gods and goddesses, we decided to paint our own ‘Georgian doorway’ and include our local goddess, Sionna, the Goddess of the Shannon.”
“We are very happy with this powerful work that Bold Details have created for us and the impact that this mural has had, not only on the site, but more so on the people of Limerick judging by the very positive response it has received so far.”
Civic Trust Chairman David O’Brien said the mural was a really striking piece of work and reflected the history and heritage of the inner Limerick gateway brilliantly.
“The two guys were a pleasure to work with and we are delighted also that they are from the Limerick School of Art and Design, a great Limerick institution that is renowned internationally.”
“Our next phase is to finish the garden itself and we look forward to doing that next year. We will effectively have taken out an eyesore close to the city centre and turned it into something really positive and powerful for everyone to enjoy. It’s another fine public amenity for Limerick and part of the great new fabric of the city.”
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