Behind Walls is supported by the Research Ireland Discovery Programme.

During the August bank holiday weekend, the All-Island Cancer Research Institute launched its newest public and patient engagement initiative, Behind Walls, at the All Together Now festival in Waterford. Behind Walls is led by Conway Fellow Dr Maria Prencipe from UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, alongside colleagues and Conway Fellows Prof. William Gallagher and Dr Arman Rahman, in collaboration with Dr Áine McGill of Ulster University. The concept was developed by Chantal Halley, AICRI Research Programme and Engagement Manager.

Ahead of the festival, cancer researchers from UCD and Ulster University, alongside mural artist Aches, ran workshops with community groups across Waterford. Participants included the SOLAS Cancer Support Centre, local teenagers from Mount Sion CBS Secondary School, and members of ethnic minority communities. Support—from family, friends, doctors, charities and researchers—emerged as a recurring theme.

“Ní neart go cur le chéile”

Aches, 2026. The mural’s title translates to “There is no strength without unity”.

Aches explained that the work centres on support: “I use overlaying hands reaching out to represent connection, care and encouragement. The hands could belong to anyone, serving as a reminder that cancer can—and often does—affect everyone, whether directly or indirectly.”

For Aches, the project has personal weight. Having lost his father to cancer in 2014, he described the process of listening to groups and workshopping ideas around the themes that resonated most. He hopes the mural’s abstract form will invite festival-goers to find their own meaning and begin conversations.

Opening conversations

Over the All Together Now weekend, festival-goers watched the mural take shape and met members of the project team, including cancer researchers from the Conway Institute. Visitors were invited to share stories and reflections through conversation, handwritten postcards and a QR code. Each contribution will help the project understand how art can create meaningful conversations about cancer, research and lived experience.

In Conversation with Aches

On Friday 31st July, the project hosted “In Conversation with Aches: The Hands Behind Behind Walls” in the Curious Minds Tent. Chaired by Mary Grehan, Arts in Health Curator, the panel brought together Aches, Prof William Gallagher, Dr Miriam O’Connor and Éanna Mac Cana. The conversation explored the workshops that shaped the mural, the role of public engagement in cancer research, and what collaborators learned by working across disciplines.

What’s next

This activation mural is the first of three. The next will be created in Derry later this year, shaped through co-creation workshops hosted by Lavey GAA club and centred on sport as a way to engage communities. The murals will feed into a documentary following the project from first conversation to finished artwork, due to show in early 2027.