12-Year-Old Poet's Words Shine Bright on Seamus Heaney Mural in Derry

Jude Shiels, a 12-year-old poet from Londonderry, is feeling very proud because his poem is now part of a new mural in the city. The mural was created to honor Seamus Heaney, a famous Irish poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Jude's poem, called 'Beneath Irish Skies,' is written on the mural, which was painted on a wall on Westland Street. Jude said he was honored and happy to have his poem included in the artwork. He also said that working on the project was an amazing experience because he got to show his creative side and meet new people from different backgrounds. Some of his friends have not seen the mural yet, but those who have think it is very cool.

The mural was made by a street art group called Peaball and a community arts group called Féile. Young people from Bishop Street Youth Club and Newbuildings Youth Club helped design the mural. The project took a year to finish and was funded by the EU's Peaceplus initiative, which supports projects that bring people together. The mural is painted in black and white and shows a portrait of Seamus Heaney above the word 'influencer. ' The words of Jude's poem are also written on the wall. The mural is close to the school where Seamus Heaney studied when he was young.

Ruairi O'Connell from Féile said the mural is meant to honor Seamus Heaney and also to make people think about the role of influencers today. He said the young people learned about how Heaney's poetry has influenced many generations. They also talked about how people online can be influencers now, and compared that to someone like Heaney, whose words have lasted for decades. The young people brought a lot of creativity and energy to the project. The Heaney mural is one of many new public artworks in Londonderry. Other murals in the city honor famous people and groups, like the band The Undertones. Seamus Heaney is known as one of the greatest Irish poets since WB Yeats. He was born in 1939 near Toomebridge and grew up in Bellaghy. He studied in Derry and Belfast and became a teacher. He published many books of poetry, starting with 'Death of a Naturalist' in 1966. Heaney's poems often talk about his childhood and the history of Ireland. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 for his beautiful and meaningful writing. Heaney's work is respected all over the world, and now his legacy is celebrated in Londonderry with this new mural.