“The Birds And The Bees” … I did not get the hidden joke until today. My mother was a nurse/midwife at Holles Street The National Maternity Hospital and on the first day of 1950 I was born there. This example of Paint-A-Box street art is directly outside the hospital.
The Birds & the Bees is inspired by Dublin’s urban gardens, Merrion Square and St. Stephen’s Green; space where nature and urban life intertwine in perfect harmony. This illustration highlights how these gardens bring colour to the city-centre and provide a tranquil gathering place for the people of Dublin.
Emily Kouri is a Canadian graphic designer and illustrator, currently living in Dublin. Using digital and traditional mediums, Emily is passionate about producing work that communicates thoughtful messages. Emily’s projects and collaborations are diverse, that range from branding start-up businesses to creating outdoor urban murals.
The hospital was established through charitable donations in 1894 and received a royal charter, in line with other maternity hospitals in Dublin, in 1903. The Linen Guild, a charity to help mothers and babies in need of financial assistance, was established in 1912.
Elizabeth O’Farrell, a member of Cumann na mBan, served as a midwife, training and working in Holles Street in the early years of the 20th century before carrying the white flag delivering the surrender at the Easter Rising in 1916. The hospital became the first such facility to benefit from the Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake which funded extensive redevelopment in the 1930s. Antrim House, the former home of the Earls of Antrim on Merrion Square, was demolished to facilitate the construction of the hospital by G&T Crampton, in 1936. A new Charter was received in 1936 altering the governance of the hospital such that it was administered by a board consisting of the Archbishop of Dublin (or a representative) as chair of the board, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, two City Councillors and two nominees of the Minister of Health.
In 1998, Holles Street set up the Domino (Domiciliary Care In and Out of Hospital) and Home birth scheme through its team of community midwives. The National Maternity Hospital Foundation, a charity which raises funds for a number of projects in the hospital with special emphasis on the neonatal intensive care unit, was established in 2012.
In June 2021 Dublin City Council commissioned a number large-scale murals on the sides of five buildings or construction site hoardings, some of which were regularly defaced by graffiti.
This mural on Prussia Street is by Juliette Viodé who describes herself as follows:
“I am a mural artist and illustrator based and working in Dublin. I studied animation and illustration in Dublin and since graduating have been heavily involved in the street art scene. I was formerly the lead artist for the Dublin Canvas Project. Through this initiative, I designed and painted a series of small and large scale murals around the city. I am now working as a freelance artist and have continued to paint murals, in particular for disadvantaged communities, helping them re-take pride in their areas. I have also worked extensively with kids with learning disabilities, showing them new tools to communicate ideas.”
“Street art is not my only focus though, I have pursued my work as an illustrator through several commissioned pieces and exhibitions. I’ve most recently worked for the Sun-Pilot project at the Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research centre in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) as part of their education and public engagement program. In this project I designed illustrations to explain scientific concepts to children. The artwork I created will be used in schools throughout the EU as a teaching tool.”
“My work is vibrant, cheerful and character-centric.”
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