HEADLESS URBAN EXPRESSION

There Is Much To See Here

MURALS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE SECOND SELECTION OF RANDOM IMAGES

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ANSEO STREET ART PROJECT

Between 2021 and 2022 Dún Laoghaire Town has seen 23 stunning artworks installed throughout the town as part of the Dún Laoghaire Anseo street art project.

My visit to Dun Laoghaire today was unexpected and unplanned but I had my iPhone 12 Pro Max with me so I took the opportunity to photograph some of the murals on view. The good news is Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is expanding its gallery and it is my intention to identify and photograph all street art in the town.

THE LIGHT KEEPER BY SOPHI ODLING

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REAR OF THE SEA SCOUTS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE

Sophi Odling is an Australian artist who paints large-scale murals around the globe. Her work focuses on the beauty amongst the chaos in our everyday lives. The vivid narratives reflect human behaviours, environments, and cultures that she encounters.

Born in 1983 in Seoul, South Korea, Sophi grew up in Sydney, Australia, where she currently lives and works. In 2005 Sophi completed her BFA at UNSW College of Fine Arts. In 2017 Sophi started painting murals after a 14 year career in fashion. Her murals can be seen in America, Europe, South East Asia, Central America and Australia – and now in Dún Laoghaire!

Sophi presents her work in hope to celebrate the acceptance of cultural diversity, borderless minds, and the innocence of youth.

Sophi described her work for DLR Anseo in three words – embracing, night, and warmth. Titled ‘The Light Keeper’, it takes inspiration from the shelter and protection provided by the two light houses of Dún Laoghaire.

In summer 2021, a host of street artists arrived in Dún Laoghaire to turn the town’s streets into an open air canvas. The result was Dún Laoghaire Anseo which saw fifteen walls transformed by some stunning pieces of art that brightened the streets of the town. In 2022, ten more artists were invited back for Dún Laoghaire Anseo 2022. This year we have expanded across the county, bringing art not just to Dún Laoghaire but also to the walls of Dundrum, Deansgrange, Sallynoggin and Sandyford.

Meaning “here” in Irish, Anseo explores what makes our county a unique place. It’s our take on the essence of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, borrowing from its maritime heritage, its rich cultural history and reflecting themes of biodiversity.

Anseo brings together the best in contemporary street art, with a mixture of established, up-and-coming, and local artists, supported by Creative Ireland.

https://www.dlrcoco.ie/meet-artists

BAD EGG AT ROSEDALE TERRACE

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IS THIS STREET ART OR A LOGO FOR A YET TO BE OPENED RESTAURANT

There is not to say about Rosedale Terrace other than it is off Clanbrassil Street. To the best of my knowledge there is a chain of Mad Egg Restaurants and one Bad Egg restaurant in Dublin but there are none near Rosemount Terrace so I must assume that this is an example of Dublin street art.

LIBERTY LANE OFF KEVIN STREET

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SOME CLAIM THAT GRAFFITI IS LEGAL HERE

Liberty Lane is a short, narrow lane in Dublin, Ireland, running from Lower Kevin Street to Camden Row. It is located in the historic Liberties district, which was once home to many of the city’s working poor. Some people claim that the lane extended from all the way from Kevin Street to Portobello but I am not convinced that it ever did.

During online searches I have frequently seen this lane described as being a legal location for street art and it is implied that it is legal because property owners have given consent. However, my understanding is that property owners cannot give consent without planning permission.

www.legal-walls.net/country/ireland
www.garda.ie/en/crime/criminal-damage/property-crime-graf…
www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublin-needs-to-catch-up-and-…
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/18/dublin-city-council…

DJ KAREN STILL IN ACTION AFTER THIRTY YEARS

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STREET ART ON DAME LANE

DJ Karen has worked on the DJ circuit for the last 3 decades. She started working in The George in late 1994 and thankfully is still there.

Opened in 1985, The George began as a gay-owned venture, eight years before homosexuality was legalised in Ireland. It was subsequently purchased by the group of bars and clubs owned by the Capital Bars Group and today it is owned by the Mercantile Entertainment Group who own several venues around the city including the popular music venue, Whelans.

Originally a traditional pub on the corner of George’s Street, The George was purchased by Cyril O’Brien who loved the atmosphere of the bar but wasn’t quite so sure about the décor and thought the place could do with a revamp. In 1984 the area above the pub was transformed into a gay disco bar called ‘The Loft’, with the downstairs pub remaining as a straight venue. In May 1985 the venue expanded downstairs to the area now known as ‘Bridie’s Bar’, at which point the overall venue became known as The George. Eventually, The George became a dedicated gay bar.

It was only the second bar in the city to be owned by a gay proprietor and to be opened specifically as a gay bar; the other was ‘The Viking’ on Dame Street. Prior to this point, the city had multiple ‘gay friendly’ bars, however these venues did not openly trade as gay bars or advertise for LGBTQ clientele.

STREET ART UNDER THE BRIDGE

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BALLYMORE COMPLEX AT THE 8TH LOCK ON THE ROYAL CANAL

The 8th Lock on the Royal Canal is a well-constructed canal lock that forms part of a wider collection of locks, bridges and lock-keepers’ houses associated with the Royal Canal on its journey from Spencer Dock to Longford town. Displaying quality masonry skills and early eighteenth-century engineering, it attests to the importance of the canal’s role at the time of construction. Fully functioning, this lock serves recreational use today and remains an important element in the architectural and industrial heritage of north Dublin.

The 8th Lock residential project comprises five sections which are between four and thirteen storeys high and due for completion between October 2023 and March 2025. It is just 300 metres from the new Pelletstown railway station which I also visited today.

The 8th Lock complex, on the site of the former Ormond Printworks (I was an employee many years ago) on Ratoath Road, will eventually comprise 218 one-bedroom and 217 two-bedroom apartments, and 4,200sq m of commercial and amenity space. This will include public plazas, a healthcare centre, pharmacy, own-door offices and a gym. Some 255 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points, disabled parking and nearly 950 bicycle parking spaces will be provided at surface and undercroft levels.

The 8th Lock is the first large development In Ireland or in the UK to make use of a pioneering low-carbon product known as CarbonCure. This allows recycled CO₂ to be embedded into fresh concrete during mixing without compromising performance. To date CarbonCure Technologies has prevented over 174,000 tonnes of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere, with millions more set to be sequestered into the future. Ballymore is employing the technology with Kilsaran at the 8th Lock.

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