WATERFORD CITY AND WATERFORD WALLS

One Of My Favourite Cities

William Murphy

Geometric Snail Mural By Dan Leo – A Work In Progress 12 August 2026

by

I used a Sony 7RVI with a Sony 24-105mm F4 lens.

It took me two days to locate this as the directions that i had been supplied with were incorrect and on the second day i came across the mural by accident. Unfortunately, the work was not completed before I returned to Dublin.

Artist: Dan Leo
Artwork: Geometric Snail Mural
Festival & Setting: Created for the Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival in Waterford, Ireland (located in the Farran Park / Outer Ring Road area).

The Artist and Their Work

Dan Leo is a prominent London-born, Ireland-based contemporary muralist and illustrator recognised as a staple of the Irish street art movement.
Signature Style: Leo’s visual language is deeply rooted in comic, graffiti, and graphic design traditions. His work is known for bold, heavy black contour line-work, sharp geometric divisions, and hyper-saturated, contrasting colour palettes.

Subject Matter: Wildlife and nature dominate Leo’s oeuvre. He frequently depicts animals—ranging from urban foxes, tropical birds, and cats to smaller fauna like this snail—reinterpreting organic forms through rigid facets, angular planes, and graphic patterns.

Interaction with Architecture: In this piece, Leo cleverly incorporates the residential structure’s architectural elements directly into the composition. The central second-floor window forms the core spiral axis of the snail’s shell, blending physical building infrastructure with flat, two-dimensional geometric abstraction.

BY ANIMALITOLAND FROM ARGENTINA FOR WATERFORD WALLS 2018 DOYLE STREET – ST IGNATIUS STREET

by

PHOTOGRAPHED AUGUST 2025

Animalitoland’s mural from the 2018 festival is located on Doyle Street, near its junction with St Ignatius Street. The mural depicts a large, purplish, bear-like creature sitting, with its head thrown back in a joyous, laughing expression. It holds a small, childlike figure wearing a red hoodie, who in turn holds a glowing, lightbulb-like object. The scene is set against a vibrant background that radiates a warm, yellow light from behind the large creature, with abstract, geometric shapes and symbols on the left side of the building’s facade. The style is recognisably consistent with the artist’s signature aesthetic, which often features “fantastic creatures” and children in a “colourful explosion”. The presence of this artwork, and its clear recognisability, reinforces the festival’s success in commissioning works that resonate with the public while maintaining artistic integrity.

In August 2018, the city of Waterford was transformed into a large-scale outdoor gallery as it hosted the fourth edition of the Waterford Walls festival. Among the numerous artworks that emerged from this event was a mural by Argentinian artist Graciela Gonçalves Da Silva, an artist better known by her moniker, Animalitoland. Situated at the corner of Doyle Street and St Ignatius Street, this specific mural stands out not only for its artistic merit but also for its exceptional state of preservation. The fact that an outdoor public artwork, exposed to the elements for several years, has survived so well invites a deeper inquiry into the artist, the festival, and the unique socio-cultural dynamics that contribute to the endurance of street art.

Graciela Gonçalves Da Silva’s artistic journey is defined by a significant transition from a conventional career path to a life of creative freedom. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she pursued a formal education, graduating with a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires. For over a decade, she honed her craft in various visual fields, including comics, fanzines, animation, video games, toys, and graphic design. However, she found her true calling in 2011 when she began painting freely in the streets, a decision she describes as a “personal and artistic revolution”.

This monumental shift in her life culminated in 2014 when she made the definitive choice to leave her designer job to become a full-time artist and a self-described “world nomad”. This nomadic existence, which has taken her to countries including Spain, Germany, the UK, France, Hungary, China, and Canada, is central to her creative process. It has enabled her to establish a global artistic footprint, with more than 60 murals created across the American continent, Europe, and Asia. This constant motion is not a sign of instability but rather a deliberate choice that provides her with the energy and inspiration to tackle new ideas continuously.

The 2018 edition of the festival was particularly significant, marking a substantial increase in scale and ambition. The event ran for a full ten days, from the 17th to the 26th of August, and brought together a spectacular line-up of between 45 and 50 local, national, and international artists. This expansion provided a larger and more prominent platform for artists and was accompanied by an extensive programme of ancillary events, including workshops, guided tours, and expert panel talks.

The festival’s roster was a testament to its growing international prestige, attracting globally recognised artists such as Fintan Magee from Australia, Dan Kitchener from the UK, and Sonny from South Africa. Notably, Animalitoland was a returning artist for the 2018 festival , having previously painted in Waterford in 2017. Her return underscores the high calibre of the talent the festival attracts and her established relationship with the event’s organisers. This dynamic illustrates the festival’s role in leveraging high-calibre artistic talent to achieve its social and economic goals for the city.

THE SCRIBBLE GRID IN ACTION AND A WORK IN PROGRESS AT THE GLEN

by

WATERFORD WALLS HUB 2025

As I could not book a hotel room for Saturday or Sunday many of the planned murals had yet to be completed so many that I photographed were very much unfinished but hopefully I can revisit them next year.

I’ve finally had the opportunity to photograph something I’ve always wanted to capture: a mural created using the scribble grid technique. This mural is a work in progress at The Glen, part of the Waterford Walls Hub 2025 event. While I don’t know the exact artist yet, it’s one of the following: AndyMc, HOCK, Kohneshia, Kone, Rocket01, WRN, or Zurdie.

What Is a Scribble Grid?

The scribble grid, also known as a doodle grid or lazy grid, is a clever technique used by artists, especially muralists, to scale up a design from a small sketch to a large wall. Unlike a traditional, precisely measured grid, this method allows for more spontaneity and is perfect for irregular or textured surfaces.

Here’s a breakdown of how the process typically works:

Preparation: The artist first creates their design digitally and takes a photo of the wall where the mural will be painted.

The Grid: On the actual wall, the artist draws a series of random, non-uniform shapes, letters, or scribbles. These aren’t meant to be neat; they simply act as a unique set of reference points across the surface. This can be done with chalk, spray paint, or a brush.

Overlay: The artist then takes a photo of the wall with the scribbles on it. They import this photo into their digital software, placing it on a layer beneath their mural design. By making the mural design partially transparent, they can see the scribbles underneath.

Transfer: Using the overlaid image as a guide, the artist notes where the lines of their design intersect with the random scribbles on the wall. For example, a line might start where a letter ‘G’ is drawn and end where it crosses a curvy line.

Painting: Using these “scribble intersections” as a guide, the artist transfers their design onto the wall, ensuring the proportions and placement are correct.

This method is fast, flexible, and doesn’t require a ruler or a projector, making it a modern, less rigid alternative to the traditional grid method. It allows artists to maintain accuracy while adopting a more freehand approach.

TRAMORE THE BIG BEACH COUNTY WATERFORD

by

AUGUST 2025 VISIT

I had a few hours to spare so I decided to visit Tramore and it took me much less than an hour to get there from the Granville Hotel in Waterford. I had intended to revisit the town on the following day in order to search for and photograph examples of street-art and also visit the Metal Man but I got distracted by events and did not re-visit.

Getting to Tramore from Waterford City

Travelling to Tramore from Waterford City is very straightforward and easy. The two towns are located just 12 kilometres apart, and there is a frequent and direct bus service operated by Bus Éireann (Route 360) that connects them. The journey is short, taking approximately 18-20 minutes, with buses running every 30 minutes throughout the day. This makes it a very convenient and reliable option for commuters and visitors alike.

History and Origin of Tramore

Tramore, which translates from the Irish ‘Trá Mhór’ to ‘big beach’, was originally a small fishing village. Its transformation began in the late 18th century when it was discovered as a “pleasant retreat” for the citizens of Waterford seeking the benefits of “salt water”. The town’s growth as a tourist destination was significantly boosted by the opening of a unique, isolated railway line from Waterford City in 1853. This railway was integral to the town’s development until its closure in 1961.

A key event in the town’s history is the “Sea Horse tragedy” of 1816, when a military transport ship carrying soldiers, women, and children was wrecked in the bay, leading to the loss of over 360 lives. This event led to the erection of the famous “Metal Man” statues on the headlands in 1823, funded by Lloyd’s of London, to warn seafarers of the dangerous waters. The seahorse also became a symbol of the town and was later adopted as the logo for Waterford Crystal.

In recent decades, Tramore has evolved into a “dormitory town” for Waterford City, with a large portion of its population commuting for work. The town council is now focused on promoting a more self-sustaining local economy.

Peak Season and All-Year Community

While Tramore has always been a popular tourist destination, it has developed into a settled, all-year community rather than solely a seasonal resort. Its population was recorded at over 11,000 in the 2022 census, making it the second-largest town in County Waterford.

The peak season for tourism is undoubtedly from Easter through to September, with July and August being the busiest months. During this time, the town’s amusement park, beach, and other attractions are in full swing, and a large number of local and international visitors arrive. Surfing and water sports are particularly popular, and the town hosts a long-running annual horse-racing festival in August.

However, the town does not shut down in the winter. Its large community ensures that local businesses, schools, and services remain active all year round. The off-season also offers a different type of experience, with the beach still being a draw for surfers and walkers, and the cliff walks providing a rugged, scenic alternative to the summer crowds.

Street Art and Murals

While Tramore may not have the same concentration of street art as nearby Waterford City, which is known for its annual “Waterford Walls” festival, it has been included in the festival’s expansion. The Waterford Walls festival has brought large-scale mural artwork to various locations within the county, including Tramore. Therefore, it is possible to find street art in the town, with pieces often commissioned to beautify urban spaces and engage with the local community.

THE MARIAN GROTTO AT FERRY BANK NEAR WATERFORD CITY

by

PHOTOGRAPHED AUGUST 2025

The Marian Grotto at Ferrybank near Waterford City

Confusion often arises between the large Marian Grotto in Ferrybank and the Our Lady of the Wayside Grotto on Cork Road in Waterford City. During my recent visit, both were photographed, and a third site, a statue in Roanmore Park, was also discovered and photographed. This statue is a different type of monument and is a more recent addition, erected in July 1973. The Our Lady of the Wayside Grotto on Cork Road is a traditional grotto, but the one in Roanmore Park is a statue on a plinth.

The Grotto in Ferrybank is a significant local landmark with a history rooted in the Marian Year of 1954. Following the global Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary, a local committee in Ferrybank, with the full support of then-parish priest Canon James Ryan, initiated a project to build the Grotto.

The Grotto’s construction involved using large conglomerate stones sourced from local quarries in Ballinamona and Slieverue. A piece of rock from the Grotto in Lourdes was also incorporated into the structure. On Sunday, 20th May 1956, the Grotto was officially unveiled and blessed before a large gathering of people from Ferrybank and the surrounding areas. A time capsule containing newspapers and coins from the era was also built into the Grotto.

The Grotto remains a focal point for the community, lovingly tended to by a dedicated local resident for many years. It serves as a place of pilgrimage and prayer, and in 2024, a special event marked the 70th anniversary of the Marian Year.

This Site Is Free From Advertising