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Goodluck Uzama and Samuel Kiwanuka at the new mural at the Tralee International Resource Centre. Photo by Dermot Crean
TRALEE International Resource Centre (TIRC) is celebrating the African community living in Tralee by unveiling a large mural at their premises in Boherbee.
The mural was started on Africa Day (May 25th) when people were asked to submit ideas for the artwork, and since then local artist Teresa Galvin, has been working on the piece.
Mary Carroll, co-ordinator of TIRC said, “We are delighted to have this lasting legacy to our international community who have made Tralee their home, and while our focus was to celebrate Africa Day the mural represents more as the central message of ‘we are hope’ applies to us all.
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“No matter where we come from, we all need to live and work together, and this has been particularly evident during the recent pandemic.”
Mary added, “My hope is that we are all inspired to rise to the challenge of integration, and at least pause and reflect o the common humanity that links us all. No more than Irish people abroad are rightly proud of their homeland and roots, so too are the many people living here from a wide range of different countries in Africa. We are lucky to support people from Ethiopia to Somalia and from Burundi to Nigeria and many more countries too. They all are individuals and their countries are unique, so it is hard to capture the whole of what is Africa, but ‘hope’ is a common bond for us all, no matter where we come from.”
Mayor of Kerry Cllr Patrick Connor Scarteen unveiled the mural. He said; “I am hugely proud of the fact that people from around the globe have made Kerry their home and contributed so much to this county.”
This mural to celebrate Africa Day 2021 was funded through a grant from Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs, administered by Kerry County Council.
