Bláthú - Irelands Largest Mural
We often navigate the world through our own familiar lens, forgetting that others experience it in profoundly different ways. With Bláthú, I wanted to shift that focus - exploring how individual sensory needs shape perception, and how understanding these differences can open us to more inclusive ways of seeing and being.
Spanning 724m² and using over 300 litres of paint, this project was over a year in the making. Bláthú blends the industrial forms of the historic Bolands Flour Mills with the natural beauty of Irishtown Nature Park - a visual exploration of past and present.
I collaborated with As I Am, Ireland’s autism charity, and NIRP, a local neurodiversity support group for parents of neurodivergent children, whose insights helped to shape the design.
To take it a step further, I wanted to explore how the mural could be experienced by people with hearing and vision impairments. To achieve this, I partnered with Imvizar - Ireland’s leaders in immersive storytelling, to create a sensory AR experience that brings the artwork to life through your phone.
‘This mural captures the spirit of Bolands Mills as a space that blends a layered history with contemporary creativity. Sean’s work celebrates the community here and builds upon the rich arts and cultural history of this iconic landmark.’
— Michael Conaghan, Project Director for Bolands Mills at Google
Learn more about the project
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In 1873, local baker Patrick Boland bought two cut-stone flour milling buildings overlooking Grand Canal Dock in Dublin. Bolands Mills quickly became one of the largest flour milling sites of its kind. This historic landmark, occupied by rebel forces during the 1916 Easter Rising, sat largely untouched from 2001 until it was purchased by Google in 2018, becoming one of Ireland’s largest ever urban regeneration schemes.
Now in 2025, a unique mix of community space, public art, waterfront squares, and locally born businesses spanning food and drink, wellness and beauty, are opening to the public at Bolands Mills - Dublin’s newest destination for culture, food and community.
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We hosted a series of public consultations with members of the local community, local business owners and NIRP, a local neurodiversity support group for parents of neurodivergent children, whose insights helped to shape the design.
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Through close collaboration with As I Am, Ireland’s national autism charity, I deepened my understanding of how colour impacts sensory perception. I learned that high-contrast colour combinations can be overwhelming for some individuals, while certain hues can either soothe or heighten sensory responses. This insight shaped my approach, encouraging more thoughtful, inclusive design choices that consider the diverse ways people experience the world.
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Delivering a project of this scale safely and without disrupting residents was a key priority. The engineer designed a 17 storey scaffold with a built-in tunnel, ensuring clear access and open fire exits throughout. A team of 25 erected and dismantled the structure over four weeks, allowing people to pass safely beneath during the entire process.
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After a year of preparation, the mural was completed over 16 days across 3 weeks. I assembled a team of three and worked in sections - first treating the wall with a fungicidal wash, followed by a stabilising solution and base coat. The design was mapped into 724 one-metre squares, then each shape was applied with multiple coats to ensure full coverage.
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Developed in collaboration with Imvizar, this exciting digital integration offers two unique ways to connect with Ireland’s largest mural:
• A stimulating, high-energy journey designed to excite and inspire
• A calming, grounding experience created to soothe and centreYou can also plug in your headphones to immerse yourself in a specially designed soundscape, tailored to each mode - making this a fully sensory public art experience.