THIS IS NEAR BUTTS CROSS IN KILKENNY
MURAL AT ST CANICE'S NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE ON THOMAS STREET IN KILKENNY [BUTTS GREEN AREA]
Kilkenny appears to not suffer from large scale graffiti and if one looks carefully it becomes obvious that any examples are quickly removed but also compared with other similar towns/cities in Ireland there is not many high quality murals to been seen. This visit to the city I found it very difficult, actually impossible, to find a usable list of murals or even public art.
While I could not find specific information about this particular mural of a cherry blossom tree it's worth noting that Kilkenny is actively developing its public art scene and that I suspect that the Mural is by Graham Carnew.
Given that Graham Carew is known for his involvement in community art projects in Kilkenny, and his previous work with "Keep Kilkenny Beautiful" (who are often involved with community centres), it makes perfect sense that he would be the artist behind a mural at St. Canice's Neighbourhood Centre. Nighbourhood centres often serve as hubs for community engagement, and public art on their walls is a common way to enhance the space and reflect community spirit.
While I still don't have a direct article explicitly stating "Graham Carew painted the cherry blossom mural at St. Canice's Neighbourhood Centre," the evidence strongly points in that direction:
Artist's Known Work: Graham Carew's "Truce with Nature" mural for Keep Kilkenny Beautiful and The Closh indicates his style and thematic interests (nature, community).
Building Type: Neighbourhood centres are prime locations for community-focused public art.
Local Involvement: The involvement of artists like Carew in Kilkenny's growing public art scene makes it highly probable.
The mural depicting a cherry blossom tree fits well with themes of nature, growth, and community, which are often central to neighbourhood centre activities.
Recent initiatives, particularly since 2023, show a growing trend towards larger and more prominent public artworks:
Street Art Ink has been instrumental in creating new murals in Kilkenny. In 2023, they successfully tendered for a series of mural artworks to transform the Cootes Lane area. These murals were a collaboration with the locally based and world-renowned Cartoon Saloon, using their Wolfwalkers animation as a central theme.
Local primary school pupils even participated in creating stencils for this project.
In April 2024, Street Art Ink returned to Kilkenny, working with local Tidy Towns Groups in Stonyford to create a stunning artwork by artist Danleo, focusing on biodiversity.
Keep Kilkenny Beautiful is also involved in promoting murals, mentioning a "Kilkenny Mural Trail 2025" and highlighting various high-quality wall art projects undertaken in recent years, including the Coote's Lane murals and a "Truce with Nature" project in The Closh, featuring a mural by Graham Carew.
Kilkenny County Council has also unveiled an ambitious Public Arts Programme for 2024-2027, committing significant funding to new, high-quality public art projects that engage with communities. This indicates a conscious effort to enhance public art in the city.
Kilkenny appears to not suffer from large scale graffiti and if one looks carefully it becomes obvious that any examples are quickly removed but also compared with other similar towns/cities in Ireland there is not many high quality murals to been seen. This visit to the city I found it very difficult, actually impossible, to find a usable list of murals or even public art.
While I could not find specific information about this particular mural of a cherry blossom tree it's worth noting that Kilkenny is actively developing its public art scene and that I suspect that the Mural is by Graham Carnew.
Given that Graham Carew is known for his involvement in community art projects in Kilkenny, and his previous work with "Keep Kilkenny Beautiful" (who are often involved with community centres), it makes perfect sense that he would be the artist behind a mural at St. Canice's Neighbourhood Centre. Nighbourhood centres often serve as hubs for community engagement, and public art on their walls is a common way to enhance the space and reflect community spirit.
While I still don't have a direct article explicitly stating "Graham Carew painted the cherry blossom mural at St. Canice's Neighbourhood Centre," the evidence strongly points in that direction:
Artist's Known Work: Graham Carew's "Truce with Nature" mural for Keep Kilkenny Beautiful and The Closh indicates his style and thematic interests (nature, community).
Building Type: Neighbourhood centres are prime locations for community-focused public art.
Local Involvement: The involvement of artists like Carew in Kilkenny's growing public art scene makes it highly probable.
The mural depicting a cherry blossom tree fits well with themes of nature, growth, and community, which are often central to neighbourhood centre activities.
Recent initiatives, particularly since 2023, show a growing trend towards larger and more prominent public artworks:
Street Art Ink has been instrumental in creating new murals in Kilkenny. In 2023, they successfully tendered for a series of mural artworks to transform the Cootes Lane area. These murals were a collaboration with the locally based and world-renowned Cartoon Saloon, using their Wolfwalkers animation as a central theme.
Local primary school pupils even participated in creating stencils for this project.
In April 2024, Street Art Ink returned to Kilkenny, working with local Tidy Towns Groups in Stonyford to create a stunning artwork by artist Danleo, focusing on biodiversity.
Keep Kilkenny Beautiful is also involved in promoting murals, mentioning a "Kilkenny Mural Trail 2025" and highlighting various high-quality wall art projects undertaken in recent years, including the Coote's Lane murals and a "Truce with Nature" project in The Closh, featuring a mural by Graham Carew.
Kilkenny County Council has also unveiled an ambitious Public Arts Programme for 2024-2027, committing significant funding to new, high-quality public art projects that engage with communities. This indicates a conscious effort to enhance public art in the city.