Retention sought for hostel mural promoting 2020

The owner of a city centre hostel has sought planning permission to retain a mural on the side of the building – to promote Galway for the European Capital of Culture 2020.

Fred Fullard of Snoozles Hostel on Forster Street has applied for permission to retain the large hot-air balloon mural – unveiled on the side of the building last December – until February 2021.

He said that during maintenance works, it was decided to do “something special to promote our city as Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture and, of course, our business”.

According to the planning application: “The prime location of Snoozles Forster Street is very prominent and strategically important in Galway City. Because it is situated right at the entrance to Galway Coach Station and adjacent to Galway rail station, it is highly visible to a large proportion of visitors to our city.

“As an integral part of Galway’s hospitality sector, providing some 350 tourist bed spaces, we are hugely enthusiastic about Galway 2020 and we want to play our part in promoting that at every opportunity.

“To that end, we see our temporary mural as an ideal opportunity to draw the attention of thousands of tourists who see it as they pass it on a daily basis, as well as our own hostel guests.

“We see this as being beneficial for a limited timeframe, hence our application is for a defined period of 24 months covering the run up to 2020 and the year itself. Our intention at that point is to remove it in February 2021.

“I am sure you will agree that out mural has been very tastefully and professionally designed to bring life to what otherwise is a large blank, uneventful space.

“We have had no objection whatsoever since it was painted on, on the contrary, we have been inundated with complimentary feedback,” the application reads.

A decision is expected next month from City Council planners.