GOING FORWARD PHOTONIQUE WILL BE ADVERTISMENT FREE
GOING FORWARD PHOTONIQUE WILL BE ADVERTISMENT FREE
Originally Photographed 9 September 2026
SOMEONE IS WATCHING ME
Heavy traffic and intrusive street furniture made for a challenging shoot; a few incidental distractions were digitally removed to preserve the frame's focus
Returning to Drogheda after a two-year absence brought an immediate encounter with a towering new addition to the town’s urban landscape. Dominating the exterior of Scotch Hall Shopping Centre along Marsh Road, Balor by Spanish artist Moxaico (Daniel Fernández) serves as the eighth large-scale instalment in the celebrated DRAWDA Urban Art Trail.
The mural commands attention from the southern approaches, offering striking vantage points across the River Boyne from South Quay and along the Dublin Road. Drawing deeply from Celtic mythology, the piece depicts Balor of the Evil Eye, the formidable, destructive giant king of the Fomorians. Moxaico weaves several layers of local and mythological lore into the composition:
Mythological Iconography: Balor's singular, cataclysmic gaze is paired with Glas Ghoibhneann, the magical cow of abundance, whose theft forms a central tale in the mythological cycle connecting Balor with the craft god Lugh.
Archaeoastronomical Alignment: The visual narrative explicitly mirrors the winter solstice alignment spanning from the mouth of the River Boyne at Baltray inland towards Rockabill, integrating Boyne Valley solar lore into modern spray art.
Curatorial Scale: Curated through the ongoing partnership between Droichead Arts Centre and Love Drogheda B.I.D., the mural earned an international nomination on the global street art circuit (Street Art Cities) shortly after its completion in late 2025.
Visible against the changing tidal reflections of the Boyne, the piece cements Drogheda’s reputation as a world-class open-air gallery, bridging Ireland's prehistoric mythos with modern muralism.
DROGHEDA TRAIN STATION PHOTO GALLERY
https://photonique.org