Under Siege? Exploring the hidden world of Irish Graffiti Artists

This article aims to uncover the hidden and lived experiences of graffiti artists in contemporary Irish society. It strives to give a face to those artists who are often depicted as masked or hooded villains. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with six artists ranging in ages from 18-38 years old. Overt participant observation was also used to witness a mural being undertaken by one artist and to gain a more in-depth understanding of what it means to be a graffiti artist. The findings concur with previously studies undertaken, while significant stand-alone results in relation to Irish graffiti culture are also presented.