No.35 The way of the water
Location: Farrell Street
Artist: Wheathfield Prison CDETB Education students
A group of men in Wheatfield Prison came together & explored their way through the sounds & personal connection with water, they found the way of the water.
No.36 Cooper’s Park { The Croghan } This Years Legacy Piece
Location: Farrell Street
Artist: Mark Smith
This years Legacy piece for TypeTrail 2025 is a remembrance hand painted sign to remember the many family members that would have called Coopers Park {The Croghan} their Home, 8 two storey Terrace houses that once stood behind the Railway Bar for over 100 years were deemed unfit and then knocked in the late 1970’s, the local families that once lived there were relocated to various locations in the Town and if we don’t recognise that they did exist now, future generations will have no knowledge that they ever existed.
No.34 'Sligo Saxifrage'
Location: Old Garage, Bective Square
Artist: Roisin McNamee
A whisper from the summit of Benbulben. 'Saxifraaaage' growing for thousand of years through the scree. Now blooming, like every year in the clouds, clear skies and sunshine in Sligo. A message to listen to plants that have lived millions of years before us on earth, way longer before us humans. A sign to celebrate this resilience of nature through the rocks and understand these ancient plants are also our heritage, much like typography that has been preserved through the centuries. www.roisintree.com
No.33 Silence is Golden
Location: Thai Shop, Farrell Street
Artist: Meagan McDermot
'...and I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow' - WB Yeats Giving yourself a chance to listen to silence is ever rarer in a busy world. Take a breath, listen and see what you find there.
No.32 The Listening Wall
Location: Farrell Street Artist: Year 3 students from the BA (Hons) Graphic and Digital Design programme at TUS Athlone
The Listening Wall is an immersive exhibition. Using interactive technology, each poster invites viewers to scan a QR code (bottom of each poster) and unlock a rich sensory experience - stories, sensations, and sonic textures that explore what it means to listen. The project delves into the diverse dimensions of listening, with each student focusing on a unique perspective; from noise and ASMR to storytelling and sensory overstimulation. Ranging from deeply personal narratives to socially constructed soundscapes, the works challenge us to consider how we listen, what we choose to hear, and what often goes unnoticed. Through sound and motion, these posters transform listening into a dynamic, thought-provoking experience.
No.31 LISTEN, Close your eyes, What do you hear
Location: Farrell Street
Artist: Lorna Turner
My interpretation of LISTEN is an invitation for the viewer to truly tune in to their surroundings. Too often, we are unable to separate what we hear from what we see—our senses overlapping, clouding each other. But when we close our eyes, we begin to really listen. We hear not just what is directly in front of us, but the layers of sound that surround us. Pause. Listen deeper. There is more there than we first notice. 'Close your eyes, Listen', What do you hear?’ - Do you hear a familiar voice?- Do you feel your beating heart? The prints were made at the International Printing Museums’ - Book Arts Institute in Carson, California, USA. The museum generously allowed the use of presses, antique wood type and metal fonts and ink.
No.30 ‘Listen Loud’
Location: Farrell Street
Artist: Susan Leen
“Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exit.” Frederick Douglass
‘Listen Loud’ is a paper cut-out piece whose text comes from a longer quote from Fredrick Douglas, an American social reformer, statesman, abolitionist, and writer. The quote is taken from a speech Douglas gave in Boston in 1860 but feels very timely in today’s political climate. The piece’s material fragility echoes this theme.
No.29 ‘UPDATE’
Location: Farrell Street
Artist: Jamie Murphy
A letterpress printed observation on the current Irish homelessness catastrophe, which is growing rapidly each year.
No.28 End of the year school photo
Location: Farrell Street
Artist: Mark Smith and Leo Mulligan
The traditional end of year school photo with the pupils of Saint Colmcilles Senior School, Kells. Éistigí the Irish for to Listen spelt out by each class on the school playground. This series of school photos spans from 2012-2025.
No.27 Listen to Nature
Location: Dunnes Premere, Cross Street
Artist: Callum O’Reilly
A piece based on the Irish Celtic Myth of Dagda, the son of Danu and a Celtic God in many areas such as the Earth. Playing his Magic Harp to impart a message onto those willing to listen.
No.26 Emphasis on the fada
Location: Kenlis Place
Artist: Leo Mulligan
Bronagh McCarthy & Louise Mullen, Studio 90. The work captures how we Studio90, collaborate as designers, approach the design process, communicating through visuals, documenting our thoughts, and, most importantly listening to each other.
No.25 Can You Hear?
Location: The Nuns, Kenlis Place
Artist: Leo Mulligan
The current situation in Gaza and the West Bank did not start on October 7th, 2023, but started as far back as 1948. This fact is not known or has been widely ignored by most western media outlets. This work lists some of the atrocities perpetrated on the Palestinian people since 1948, most of which have largely been ignored or relegated to the back pages of history. The world has been silent to Palestinian suffering, and silence is complicity, complicity to Genocide!
No.24 "That one would hear the grass grow"
Location: Kenlis Place
Artist: Murielle Celis
"That one would hear the grass grow" explores the idea that listening goes beyond just hearing—it's also about sensing, feeling, and understanding in different ways. I created a hybrid typeface combining braille and roman lettering to explore how communication can be both visual and tactile. This work emphasizes inclusivity and reminds us that truly listening means being open to all kinds of perception.
No.23 “Be Happy”
Location: Headfort Place
Artist: Jane Kelleher
The last words my Nana said to me 1 week before she died "Be Happy" I'm listening Nana. Gouache on Leaves from the Two Wise Kings across the road - collected last summer so that my new piece would be an EVOLVE-lution from last year's piece.
No.22 “WE COULD HAVE”
Location: Old Butchers, John Street
Artist: Anna Boyle
This work asks us to listen to the voices of “we” - a shared voice that questions what could have been done differently. The repeated sentence, “We Could Have chosen to do otherwise otherwise it could have been done,” plays like an echo, encouraging reflection, attention and accountability
No.21 Éist / Listen
Location: John Street
Artist: Suella Wynne
Limited edition screenprint.
The word Éist is vertically stacked in a fading progression - faint at the base, growing bolder with each repetition. This visual echo captures the need to repeat oneself to truly be heard, creating a resonant, almost audible effect through form alone. Each outline is filled with translations from multiple languages, highlighting the universal struggle to be listened to & understood.
No.20 LISTEN TO YOUR HEART, IT KNOWS
Location: John Street
Artist: Andrea Nolan
Collage & Decoupage 22 x 15.5 inches depth 2inches Constructed from: recycled cardboard, magazines, envelopes, cards, wrapping paper, Easter egg foil.
No.19 SoundSense
Location: Library, Maudlin Street
Artist: John McCarty
After life changing trauma. I found myself drawn to a creative process, initially with crafts and particularly stained glass. I then went onto create works using various media, which might represent the traits of us by means of symbols with a colour relationship. I employ another group of colours and symbols for elementsin nature and for portrayal of self. Occasionally, I use current symbols for current events. Newgrange, Medieval stained glass and illuminated manuscripts inspire me.
No.18 Leabhar Eile
Location: Library, Maudlin Street
Artist: Elizabeth Comerford
A book of memory and anecdote written in Pitman Shorthand (a system of writing devised to record the spoken word). These snippets if fact and personal history float on a platform above the page. Each layout has twin images of a set of printed stencils. They overlap each other, fade and reappear in successive pages. They suggest to me the dream like quality memories of childhood have in old age. I have also made a miniature companion book. This is an accordian book that repeats the text as an intaglio print.
No.17 ‘Echos of the Pit’
Location: Maudlin Street
Artist: Year 8 Students of St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, Flint, North Wales
The students have employed a sombre colour scheme reflecting the gritty reality of mining life. The artwork, rendered in charcoal and ink, draws inspiration from the tumultuous 1980s Miners' strikes, a pivotal moment in British industrial history that deeply affected communities across the UK, including those in North Wales.
No.16 Listen to the Body. Location: Maudlin Street
Artist: Antonio D’Souza
If we listen carefully to the body, we will hear what it has to say. It will tell us what is good for it, for the mind and the spirit; they are all connected. There is order and disorder within us all, and this manifests outwardly in the words we speak and write, our behaviours and actions, and ultimately in what we create. We are always creating, from moment to moment. This body of work is inspired by Annie Albers, a textile and visual artist, 1920’s who said, “Being creative is not so much the desire to do something as the listening to that which wants to be done: the dictation of the materials.” The materials I have created with are roofing nuts and bolts, steel, graphite, cork, and card gaskets. I have listened to them and responded intuitively.
No.15 Pseudo Listeners
Location: Castle Street
Artist: Bailieborough Creative Hub
Pseudo Listening? same Instructions, different interpretations!
No.14 C’mere
Location: Cross Street
Artist: Artur Labuz, Signs by Oner
“C’mere” is hand painted letters on a custom wooden panel. The warm colors make it feel friendly and welcoming, like someone calling you over with a smile. You can see the brushstrokes up close, adding a personal, human touch. It doesn’t shout—it gently asks you to stop, notice, and listen.
No.13 Collage
Location: Cross Street
Artist: David Newton
Three strands of collage to listen to from David Newton's art studio in Bellewstown.
@davidnewtonartist
No.12 Open Yer Feckin’ Mind
Location: Market Street
Artist: Thomas Hendy
An incarcerated youth with few positive influences and narrow minded views was introduced to a retired old probation worker with a love for the arts. Over the years Billy would try to encourage him to broaden his horizons. Now twenty years on the youth, now a man sees that prison is not just a physical place but a state of mind too.
No.11 Sit Here And Tell Us All About It
Location: The BOOK MARKet, Market Street
Artist: Syd Bluett
This is a repaired and restored chair that I rescued from my mother's house in Kilkenny many years ago. I hope it will be placed indoors somewhere: where those who sit on it might tell others in the room a small story about themselves.
No.10 Gaelic
Location: The BOOK MARKet, Market Street
Artist: Mark Smith
Irish and Scottish Gaelic are closely related languages within the Goidelic branch of the Celtic language family, but they have distinct differences. Both languages share a common ancestor, Old Irish, but have evolved separately over time, leading to noticeable differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. The six remaining spoken Celtic languages are: Irish (Gaeilge), Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), Manx (Gaelg), Welsh (Cymraeg), Breton (Brezhoneg), and Cornish (Kernewek).
No.9 Seanchaí. Location: Market Street.
Artist: Caitriona Moore
Words paint a vivid picture of a community untouched by modern influences, where women spun yarn, people gathered to share tales, and potatoes were eaten from communal baskets. He reflects on the unique lifestyle of these people, many of whom had never attended school, and expresses concern about the potential loss of this culture due to the encroachment of the English language and modernisation. He also interviewed his own father who fondly remembers a respected storyteller named Jack, who could captivate audiences with lengthy tales of Irish folklore and magic, highlighting the importance of oral tradition in preserving cultural heritage.
No.8 Listening between the lines. Location: Market Street
Artist: Anne Reilly. This work explores human ability to interpret implicit messages which may lie in silent space during human interactions.Textiles are known for their sound absorption properties. The presence of silence is suggested through quilting techniques and hand-stitch using white materials. Chain stitch represents human connection, meaningful bonding, implying a possible recognition of unspoken emotional cues. Typically, we recognise silence as serene, however, silence can speak volumes. While the practice of hand-stitch denotes peaceful, machine stitch symbolises loudness, the contradictory nature of silence. Various colours represent positivity and healing that may develop through listening and engaging with implicit messages.
No.7 A Voice
Location: Market Street
Artist: Mark Smith & Alun Smyth with Kiara Power, Ava Caffrey, Chloe Flaherty, Sophie Fitzpatrick, Anna McCarthy, Jasmine Clarke, Ella Mullen and Zara Mullen.
Foróige's Navan Young People's Development Project (NYPD) have created a unique music and visual arts project to amplify their voices within their community through art and music.
No.6 The Deep Listener
Location: Market Street. Artist: Casey-Anne, Kier, Kasey, Erin, Weronika, Conor, Kianna, Ryan.We have created a large whimsical and vividly coloured jellyfish, along with two smaller beautifully detailed jellyfish. Inspired by an oceanic theme and made using 90% recycled material to convey a message promoting anti-sea pollution ideas. We were motivated by the theme "Listen" to create a piece inspired by the ocean, as we interpreted the ocean as something that encourages you to stop, relax and listen. Our piece is made to stimulate relaxing and bright emotions, while also raising awareness for the sea pollution that goes on in our world.
No.5 ‘ÉIST - LISTEN’ LEARN TO LISTEN - LISTEN TO LEARN
Location: Market Street
Artist: Mairead Harrington
Suggesting that if the viewer listens they learn. This piece incorporates traditional and machine embroidered techniques showcasing symbols of Ireland in the background with the word ‘ÉIST’ (Cló Gaelic font) featured on denim covered panels layered over the embroidered background. The background is composed of embroidered and beaded symbols of Ireland using my distinct gold thread on denim displayed on a gold leafed background.
No.4 Favorite Fragment Series
Location: Church Street
Artist: John Tarpey
John Tarpey this years typographic/photographic 'Favorite Fragments', explorations are based on The Cure & David Byrne’s collaboration with Brian Eno.
No.2 Ribbon Tree
Location: Michael’s Flower Bed, Church Lane
Artist: Our Lady of Mercy Junior School's 2nd Class
Highlighting the multi ethnicity of our modern day students.
No.3 The Joy of Sounds
Location: Jimmy’s Dry Cleaners, Church Street
Artist: CDETB Students, Mountjoy Prison.
A group of men through the artform of comic strip, highlight everyday sounds of their surroundings, each student choose their favourite graphic style from film, gaming, music videos & cartoons to showcase these sounds.
No.1 Homage
Location: Michael’s Flower Bed, Church Lane
Artist: Mark Smith and Sean Crowe
A Homage Shrine to our patron saint of lettering, Saint Colmcille, - who was a creative visionary. We've created a colourful display of type using translations.
We are delighted to be back with you to celebrate the launch of this year’s TypeTrail. join us at the Kells Church of Ireland on Thursday 26th June 2025, at 7pm for the offical launch, as we once again turn the streets of Kells into a canvas of type. Kells TypeTrail brings together a wide range of art forms, highlighting our unique heritage of lettering as a form of communication. Each year, one word is translated into a variety of languages, reflecting the diversity of the community in Kells, with the aim of providing a means to bring individuals and groups together. As this is what Arts, Culture and Heritage does, this year’s word is ‘Listen'.
