Investigation after popular Limerick mural defaced

LIMERICK City and County Council says it’s been made aware of an incident of vandalism at the popular Dolores O’Riordan mural in Nicholas Street.

There is anger after the artwork in memory of the late Cranberries singer was targetted by graffiti which contained an anti-lockdown message among other things.

Sinn Fein councillor John Costelloe, who lives nearby, says he has reported the matter to An Garda Siochana and the local authority, with a council spokesperson saying they’re looking into it.

“It’s an act of gross vandalism. They are using vandalism to coerce opinion I would think. It flies in the face of public opinion, we are in very difficult times,” Cllr Costelloe said.

The northside councillor added: “It’s insulting to the work that people are doing on the front-line in terms of doctors, nurses and other staff. It’s abhorrent.”

He actually witnessed the spray painting taking place at around 2pm yesterday, and he challenged those doing it.

”I was lucky enough to be able to confront them as residents had rang me prior to them finishing. I ran the road and caught up with them .They actually said they owned the building, but I don’t think they do. The conversation wasn’t pleasant to say the least,” Cllr Costelloe added.

The vandals, he said, went off in a vehicle, the registration number of which he took a note of.

He believes they gained access via a fenced gate beside the mural, which has been left open, due to grass cutting taking place.

“It’s an insult to the wonderful mural of Dolores O’Riordan,” said the Sinn Fein man, “Not alone is it vandalism, but I think there is another agenda at play here. They’re not just anti-mask, they are anti-people. The world is in a pandemic at the moment, let’s respect it and not try and coerce public opinion in this manner.”

The mural was completed at the Nicholas Street/Castle Street junction in November 2019.

It was painted by Aches, a Dublin street artist who overlayed three separate images of Dolores on stage.

It replaced the eyepop mural on the site.

There was an outpouring of grief from across the world following the passing of the Cranberries frontwoman – who hailed from Ballybricken – back in January 2018.