Laois artist painting way to hidden Portlaoise park and dogpark
A new mural is coming to life on a wall in Portlaoise town, with a special purpose.
Laois professional street artist Marie Moylan is painting a beautiful nature-filled mural in a commission by Laois County Council, in conjunction with Portlaoise Tidy Towns.
Emblazoned with the message ‘welcome to Triogue Linear Park’, it points the way into the secluded park which stretches from Millview back to Green Mill Lane along the riverside.
“It’s to announce the park and give it an entrance. It’s to guide people to it, there’s a dog park, a basketball court, and you can cycle and walk.
“It’s also highlighting historical features in Portlaoise. For example the fort tower and wall, the Rock of Dunamaise, and the Portlaoise Plane, which I had the privilege of seeing. They have restored it and are intending to have a museum to house it which will be fabulous,” Marie told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
The mural included the strapline ‘A town in a Garden’, the theme of Portlaoise Tidy Towns. It is one of many new art installations around the county town, a repeat gold winner in the National Tidy Towns competition.
Marie is getting positive reactions from passers by as she paints in the hot sun.
“The feedback is really nice, all nationalities, it’s really very friendly and very nice. People are bringing me chocolate of all things, and water and tea and everything, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
She is adjusting her day to the heatwave.
“It isn’t too bad today there’s a breeze. Earlier when I started I was melting so I had to start at half 8, it's sort of cool then and I go like hammers and tongs to get stuff done, and finish about half three.”
Marie expects to finish the mural within days.
“The lettering is purgatory to do, once I have that done, I’m free to paint the scenes,” she said.
Marie who also paints canvasses, lives in Attanagh near Durrow.
She has other well known Portlaoise works include the Swift’s Journey near the library, and the adorable greenhouse painted on a ESB box beside the train station.
She has also painted all the ESB boxes in Abbeyleix along with a recent mural at their community garden, and another in Borris-in-Ossory encouraging the ‘leave no trace’ ethos.
The Triogue Linear Park forms part of a multi million new riverside path for pedestrians and cyclists through Portlaoise town. Particularly aimed at getting schoolchildren active and out of cars, it will eventually run from the Mountmellick road right through to the school district in Aughnaharna, also taking inThe People’s Park on the Timahoe Road.