A practice of ritualised walking in service of the city of Dublin, Ireland that has been taking place since 2022, and was first announced to the public in 2025.

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 job is completed on a monthly basis. I work for the city, I am of the city, I am the city.

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 council logo. They are a middle aged woman with greying hair. They commit to servicing the city monthly by walking this ritualised route, and work during daylight hours only. The walk is usually conducted solo; occasionally the Municipal Walker has opened the walk to observers.

Municipal Walker was initiated as a functional-magical action intended to address an impression 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, a 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 Dublin Corporation (precursor to Dublin City Council) 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.

Further details on Municipal Walker can be found here.
Municipal Walker was made public thanks to this article.
And was developed as part of this research project.