City Council bans mural – two months after they commissioned it

Galway City Council commissioned and paid for Taaffe’s mural and sought permission from the landlords to paint it just two months before the planning department issued a legal notice to remove it.

The owners of the former Taaffe’s Shop in the heart of the city were approached by Galway City Council for permission to erect a mural before the 2020 European City of Culture judges arrived.

Last week, they were served with an enforcement notice by the planning unit to remove it, accusing them of painting the street art without permission.

A spokesman for the landlord of Taaffes told the Galway City Tribune they were contacted in early July about the ugly facade of the iconic building on William Street.

“[Galway City Arts Officer] James Harrold made a verbal request to do up the front of Taaffes as the judges would be walking up and down the street.

He said they wanted to paint a mural in-keeping with the theme of the Galway 2020 bid, Making Waves. I gave permission for it and that was the last I heard about it,” he said.

The landlord said he would obey the warning letter rather than risk prosecution. “We will do our civic duty as we are told and paint over the art work. I don’t know what colour to pick now. Do we go fuchsia?”

For more on the murals debacle, see this week’s Galway City Tribune