Mural By Decoy On The Trade Coffee Facade At Coffee House Lane
Mural By Decoy On The Trade Coffee Facade At Coffee House Lane
Explore Decoy’s striking botanical mural on The Quay in Waterford, created for the Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival. Located on the façade of Trade Coffee at the corner of historic Coffee House Lane—the birthplace of Ireland's first recorded coffee house in 1690—this large-scale artwork bridges contemporary Irish urban art with centuries of maritime trade and coffee heritage.
Author: William Murphy - The Urban Cartographer
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26. Aug 2026
I USED A SONY A7RVI WITH 24-70MM LENS I had difficulty photographing this in August 2026 so I checked by back-catalog and discovered that I managed to photograph it back in August 2021 and that the photographs were usable. Artist: DECOY (Dublin-based contemporary muralist and visual artist). Visual Style & Composition: The mural wraps around the upper storeys and corner of the building, featuring Decoy's signature graphic, botanical motifs. It juxtaposes delicate, monochrome line-work leaves against bold abstract blocks of magenta, violet, deep charcoal, and vibrant accent lines. Major Festivals & Projects: Across Ireland and the UK, Decoy has produced major commissioned works for: Site Context (Trade Coffee): When commissioned for the 2020 festival edition, his work transformed the landmark building at 112 The Quay, extending visually into the interior space of Trade Coffee—which historically served as a central hospitality hub and meeting point for festival crew, volunteers, and visiting international artists during Waterford Walls.
Longevity: Unlike many transient street art festival walls that are rotated or repainted every one to two seasons, this piece has been carefully preserved by the venue and property owners, remaining fully intact on the Waterford waterfront. Coffee House Lane holds a notable place in Ireland’s commercial and social history: Birthplace of Irish Coffee Culture (1690): The lane is historically recognised as the site where Ireland's first recorded coffee house opened in 1690, operated by merchant John Aikenhead. Port of Waterford Trade Connection: Positioned directly off the riverfront quays, the lane served as an immediate point of entry for merchant cargo arriving by ship. Green coffee beans were unloaded from merchant vessels, transported into the lane, and then hand-roasted, brewed, and served on-site. 17th- & 18th-Century Commercial Hub: During the late 17th and 18th centuries, coffee houses around the port functioned as informal commercial exchanges where ship captains, merchants, customs officials, and traders met to negotiate shipping manifests, arrange cargo insurance, and exchange overseas maritime intelligence. Modern Continuity: The lane's three-century roasting lineage directly inspired the naming of local artisan roaster Coffee House Lane, while TRADE Coffee (where Decoy’s mural wraps around the corner) maintains the site’s historical function as an active specialty coffee house. MURAL AT THE OTHER END OF COFFEE HOUSE LANE
* In The Year 2008
* In The Year 2011
* In The Year 2017
* Henrietta Back In 2010 * Clontarf Railway Station
* Docklands Railway Station
* Malahide Railway Station Ballybeg Park Mount Sion Avenue Stephen Street Thomas Street O'Connell Street Parnell Street The Forum Hub Multi-Site & Citywide Installations O'Connell Cultural Quarter (O'Connell St / George's St / Gladstone St) The Glen / Ballybricken The Apple Market / Railway Square Millers Marsh / Waterside New Street / Apple Market O'Connell Street & Cultural Quarter Stephen Street / Mayor's Walk The Mall / Waterfront The Glen & Green Street Ballybricken Barrack Street / Mount Sion City Centre & Quays
I used a Sony a7RIV and a Sony Fe 24-70mm lens
Artwork & Location Identification
The Artist: Background & Career
Involvement with Waterford Walls
Coffee House Lane

THE LEGACY CATALOG
Railway Stations
Examples Of Waterford Walls Murals
Waterford Walls 2025 Locations
Waterford Walls 2024 (10th Anniversary Highlights)
Waterford Walls 2023 Highlights
Waterford Walls 2022 Highlights