A practice of ritualised walking in service of the city of Dublin since September 2022.

The Municipal Walker walks a circular route around the city for the good of the city, roughly following the North and South Circular Roads. The walk is approximately 14km and the work task is fulfilled on a monthly basis.

I work for the city, I am of the city, I am the city.

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The Municipal Walker has designated themselves as a worker for the city council and wears a yellow high visibility waistcoat printed with a re-interpreted city council logo. They are a middle aged woman with greying hair. They commit to servicing the city monthly by walking this ritualised circular route, and work during daylight hours only.

Municipal Walker was initiated as a functional-magical action intended to address a feeling of Dublin falling apart. It draws inspiration from the practice of labyrinth walking as a mechanism to ward off bad luck or bad weather, particularly by northern European fishermen.

It also draws inspiration from Derek Howe, the man on the street carrying a bucket and cloth, who my mother regularly pointed out to me in the 1980s. According to her, he had decided to clean the old parking meters as a service to the city, and eventually the Corporation (or Corpo, as she called it) began to pay him for his work.

Finally, Municipal Walker also borrows from the 16th century decision to pay a man to ring a bell in the city during storms, reminding citizens to pray for the good of their neighbours who may be in peril at sea.

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From 2023-25 Municipal Walker was developed as part of Art Made By Walking, a research project commissioned by Axis Ballymun.

In 2024 the Municipal Walker was commissioned by the Hugh Lane Gallery to service a new walk in the name of Sarah Purser, artist and champion of artists. This walking route links locations of significance in Purser’s life, and will be serviced annually for three years.

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Photographs from top: Conor Horgan x 2, Shanna May Breen, and Jessica O’Donnell.
Logo designed in collaboration with Kate Heffernan.