A new street art mural celebrating the life and work of poet Seamus Heaney has been unveiled on Westland Street in Derry. The large-scale artwork includes the word ‘Influencer’, a portrait of the Nobel Prize-winning writer, and the poem ‘Beneath Irish Skies’ written by 12-year-old Jude Shiels.

The mural was designed and installed by Derry street art collective Peaball in collaboration with community arts group Féile. It is the result of a year-long project involving young people from Bishop Street Youth Club and Newbuildings Youth Club, funded through the European Union’s PEACEPLUS programme.

Participants took part in workshops on street art and poetry. They studied Heaney’s work and also discussed the kind of influence exercised by present-day online figures. Their input helped shape the final design.

Jude Shiels said he was proud to see his poem included on the wall and described the experience as an opportunity to express his creative side and make new friends from different backgrounds.

Ruairi O’Connell, project coordinator at Féile, described the mural as a fitting tribute to a writer who was educated less than a mile from the site. He noted that the location is close to Lone Moor Road, which Heaney referenced in his poem ‘The Road to Derry’. Mr O’Connell added that much of the painting was completed off-site to speed up installation.