Cllr Frankie Keena and artist Lucy Tormey take a break from painting the new mural at the Garrycastle Bridge underpass.

Work starts on new Garrycastle bridge mural

Work has started on creating Athlone’s first community mural on the underpass of the Garrycastle Bridge along the greenway.

The vibrant bright rich colours used so far on the designs have lifted these walls which were previously subject to graffiti slogans. 

The aim of the project is to create an attractive mural that will showcase Athlone and district as a tourist destination, to create environmental awareness, and to support visual arts.

The work, which commenced last Thursday, has generated an air of curiosity from pedestrians and cyclists. Lucy Tormey is the professional artist working on the project, which will take approximately six weeks to complete.

The committee working on the project is led by Mike Connor from Garrycastle/Altown Residents' Association. 

Students from Athlone Community Training Centre helped out last week, while there will also be support from St Hilda's, Gateway Youth Services and Rehabcare.

The project is funded by Westmeath County Council and from grants from Creative Ireland and the Environment section of the council.

Here's a photo by Ann Hennessy of the work in progress: