Limerick art lovers on the hunt for pop-up murals ahead of Riverfest

Bank holiday weekend programme includes a fun art treasure hunt with maps available online and at the Hunt Museum

Ciaran Bohane from Raheen checking out the Limerick Street Art Treasure Hunt in Limerick City. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

A series of pop-up street artworks, which have been capturing the imagination of people across Limerick City, will play an important role in the coming weekend’s events as part of Riverfest. 

The colourful works of art have had locals questioning whether the Treaty City has produced its own Banksy, but each of pieces have been painted with a plan in mind — a treasure hunt, which will take place over the May bank holiday weekend.

Four-year-old James Massey from St Mary's Park, admiring a spooky trompe l'oeil painted on a Limerick City pavement in... But we can't tell you where, as it's a scavenger hunt. Maps will be available at the Hunt Museum and online via the link at the foot of this article. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

Artist Martin Shannon and his company Lumen Street Theatre have been stealthily adding art works along the ever-popular Three Bridges Walk, ahead of a self-guided scavenger hunt which will be part of the Riverfest celebrations.

Riverfest will take place from Friday, April 29 to Monday, May 2, with events planned for across the city.

Speaking about the online fanfare that has come from his work, Martin was happy to reassure people that the local council won’t be looking to remove the works any time soon, as they were the ones to commission it.

“There are a lot of people worried they are going to get power-washed away,” Martin said.

Aidan Ryan from Cratloe checking out some of the Limerick City street art treasure hunt presented by Lumen Street Theatre. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

“Limerick City and County Council approached us to come up with a scavenger hunt around the Three Bridges Walk. The idea was to use life that's associated with the river,” he added.

Martin explained that there are a few exceptions to this rule, with one artwork, the octopus, being an inside joke among people who regularly swim the Shannon, including Martin himself: 

I’ve been saying that the water is getting so warm, that we will have octopi in there before long.

The works have garnered a lot of attention online, with many setting off already in an attempt to find them all.

“It's brilliant. I'm getting phone calls from friends, saying they have met people in their 80s venturing into Limerick City, looking to find that octopus. So it's great that it's created this kind of fun about it,” Martin said.

• To take part in the treasure hunt, maps will be available both online via the Riverfest website and in The Hunt Museum this weekend.