Home - Listings - See & Do - Listowel Characters Murals

See & Do

Discover The Area

Listowel Characters Murals

Inspired by the literary and signwriting heritage of Listowel we have launched a unique community arts project - LISTOWEL CHARACTERS.

The aim of this project is to breathe new life into the streets of Listowel by creating art that is meaningful, relevant and has longevity.

We want to leverage what we are known for as a town and bring it together into one creative project through our unique shop fronts, artistic signwriting and rich literary heritage.

The objective of this project is to work with local and national talent to create a visual narrative of the literary heritage of Listowel and North Kerry. We want to make it accessible
to the public and reinvigorate the streets of the town with bold, colourful, and thought-provoking artwork.

Each artist/sign-writer is assigned a wall to work on and chooses an inspiring quote/excerpt from the works of a North Kerry writer to create a bold, colourful, typographic mural in their chosen style. We collaborated with Writers’ Week to come up with a shortlist of quotes for the project.

We have already secured two more walls around town and over the coming weeks, you will see some more murals painted around town – so watch this space!

THANK YOU

This creative project would not have been possible without the help of our patrons and we would sincerely like to thank Kerry County Arts and Creative Ireland for their support.

A huge thank you also to the building owners who have granted us permission to create the artworks on their premises – without their support, the project would not have been possible.

Mural 1 – GW Joyce

http://gwjoyce.com/

Garreth Joyce is a graphic artist originally from Cork. He develops art works and murals for various community projects, schools, colleges, commissions and brands. Garreth aims to create vibrant, complex and detailed artworks that tell stories and reveal histories.

Garreth was assigned the OLD ESB wall on Colbert Street.

He chose the quote –

“All songs are living ghosts. And long for a living voice”

From a poem called Living Ghosts by Brendan Kennelly

Mural 2 – Mack Signs – Cormac Dillon & Louise Gardiner

https://macksigns.ie/

Mack Signs specialises in hand-painted signs gold leaf work and creating unique murals.

Cormac & Louise have a strong passion and dedication to their craft — keeping the rich tradition of Irish signwriting alive and well.

Mack Signs were assigned the Gable wall of Kay’s Children’s Shop.

They chose the quote:

“Kerry is wide, high, and handsome and you can put your finger on The Village and The River, if you are able”
— Maurice Walsh, The Honest Fisherman and Other stories, W. & R. Chambers Ltd., 1954

Maurice Walsh is a best-selling Irish author and North Kerry native. He is perhaps best known for his short story The Quiet Man, which later became an Oscar-winning film sporting an all-star cast. ⁣
⁣

Mural 3 – Martin Chute

https://www.instagram.com/mrmartinchute/

Meet the skilled artisan behind our latest typographic mural, Martin Chute – a true Master Signwriter.
As with our previous mural projects, Martin was given the creative freedom to choose an inspiring quote from a range of North Kerry Writers, Poets, and Songwriters. His choice? The illustrious John B. Keane, a celebrated figure in Listowel’s literary heritage.

Although Martin spent many years in the United States honing his craft, he eventually returned to his roots in Listowel. Today, the Chute family’s exquisite signwriting and artistic painting adorn the facades of Listowel’s beloved shops, becoming an integral part of our town’s visual tapestry.
Martin’s unique, handcrafted signs and shopfront designs have been instrumental in reshaping the very essence of Listowel’s streetscape. His work not only provides a distinct identity but also plays a significant role in preserving the character and charm that defines our beloved town.