Beanstalk mural faces the axe

Giant beanstalks decorated with Claddagh rings which are painted outside a city centre jewellers will have to be removed as they detract from the visual appearance of the building.

The jewellers shop had been refused planning permission by Galway City Council for the retention of shop front signage and a mural paintwork on two sides of the building.

They then appealed this decision to An Bord Pleanala on the grounds that the signage was required and that the mural actually enhanced the building as well as demonstrating a history of the Claddagh Ring.

But both have to be removed. An Bord Pleanala have refused the appeal by owner of Claddagh Jewellers on Mainguard Street, Philip Fried, on the grounds that it was policy to avoid visual clutter in the city centre.

The Board said that signage and any mural paintwork should respect the character and setting of the building to which it is attached.

They considered that the signage and mural, by reason of their excessive scale, design, colour scheme and multiplicity of styles, would detract from the visual appearance of the building.

It was also stated that it would set an undesirable precedent for similar developments in the city centre area.

The mural paintwork at Claddagh Jewellers is on both the front and side of the building.

It illustrates Galway scenes with giant beanstalk type plants decorated with Claddagh rings rising skyward into an electric blue sky.

The mural covers the second and third floors and is painted over windows.

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For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.