Athy Sing & Sign plan to create a mural that represents Athy Waterways, a Patrick Kavanagh poem, climate change and the deaf community and will be unveiled in Co Kildare.

The proposed design is based around the theme - Signs of Change. The artwork looks at the Patrick Kavanagh poem; Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin.

‘A swan goes by head low with many apologies,
Fantastic light looks through the eyes of bridges -
And look! a barge comes bringing from Athy
And other far-flung towns mythologies.’

In this poem, 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 particular in the biodiversity garden in 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 the this piece of artwork to engage with people of all generations in Athy by examining it’s rich past while also looking into the future

The mural will be unveiled for Culture Night Friday 17th Sept.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.