Ballymun unveils community climate mural by artist Magda Karol
A once blank wall in Ballymun has been transformed into a vibrant public artwork celebrating climate action, biodiversity and community resilience.
The striking new mural, created by artist Magda Karol from The Walls Project, is the latest milestone in the Ballymun is Brilliant initiative, a two-year community-led creative climate action project.
The mural, now a colourful and meaningful landmark in the heart of Ballymun, was co-designed with local residents and children from Virgin Mary’s School, through a series of interactive workshops led by Karol. Participants shared their thoughts on how Ballymun is responding to the climate crisis, and what more they hope to see in the future.
Magda Karol invited the students and adults to talk about what is already happening in the community: people reusing, repurposing, planting, sharing. Then they imagined what else we could do, together. Magda has managed to bring those ideas to life on the school wall.
Some members of the community even picked up spray cans to help Magda bring their shared vision to life, leaving their mark – literally – on a piece of public art.
This mural is not just about beautifying a space; it’s about building awareness, pride and a sense of agency at a local level. Murals like this make climate conversations visible. They turn ideas into imagery, and walls into invitations for everyone to take part.
The project was delivered by The Walls Project, a social enterprise best known for producing large-scale community-engaged murals across Ireland, including the internationally recognised Waterford Walls Festival, now in its 11th year. Their work champions public art as a tool for dialogue, participation, and change.
The mural is part of Ballymun is Brilliant, a creative initiative led by Global Action Plan, Axis Ballymun and the Rediscovery Centre, and funded by the Creative Climate Action Fund under the Creative Ireland programme.
The two-year programme is focused on empowering local people through creativity, culture and climate justice, helping residents tell their own stories, imagine better futures and take practical action.