Town youth brighten up local eyesore

Housing Executive local manager Breige Mullaghan (far left) beside artist Louie Winward, Castle Community Association members, Dessie Hanna (right) and Martin Neill (middle) with budding young artists from the local area.

The substation in the Seymour Drive area of the town has been transformed from an eyesore into an attractive piece of art, thanks to a community grant from the Housing Executive.

The mural features an image taken from a photograph of Castle Street in Ballymoney circa 1900.

Dessie Hanna from Castle Community Association, which led the project, said: “The electricity substation in Seymour Drive was very drab and had graffiti painted on it a number of years ago.

“This graffiti faces onto the railway line and gives a poor impression of our area. Children play on the grass areas beside the substation and a number of parents have asked us to undertake a project to remove this blight.”

Martin Neill, also from the community group, said: “We intended to brighten up the area by adding colour and more importantly involve our young people in this positive project.

“We engaged a local artist to work alongside the young people to create a non-political/religious piece of art and we’re delighted with the results.

“The mural can also be admired by passengers on the train and the wider community.”

Housing Executive local manager, Breige Mullaghan, commented on the project: “This new artwork is a good example of local residents and organisations - the Housing Executive and Northern Ireland Electricity - working together to brighten up their surrounding environment and making it a much more pleasant place for everyone to live in.”