Urban Depression

PUNK PIGEONS BY PAUL GONNELLY IS AN EXAMPLE PAINT-A-BOX STREET ART IN CONTEXT

October 15, 2025 by infomatique

NEAR 30 MANOR STREET – THE PIGEON HOUSE

On Manor Street in Stoneybatter, a traffic light control box features “Punk Pigeons,” a vibrant piece of street art by Paul Gonnelly. This work, part of the Dublin Canvas ‘Paint-a-Box’ project, is a colourful tribute to the area’s well-known, and often pesky, pigeon population.

The artwork is inspired by a complex local story. A nearby house at 30 Manor Street became informally known as the “Pigeon House” due to a resident who enthusiastically fed the local feral pigeons. Over time, the excess food also attracted rats, leading some to dub it the “Rat House.” Gonnelly’s art playfully references this notorious piece of Stoneybatter history.

This specific location has a history of artistic transformation. “Punk Pigeons” is the latest piece to adorn the box, having replaced Joseph O’Connor’s ‘This is Cowtown’ (2020) and, before that, ‘Batterbricks’ by Cathal McCoy (2015-2020), showcasing the dynamic nature of public art.

DID SOMEONE USE LEGO BRICKS TO REPAIR A WALL OR WAS IT A FORM OF URBAN ART

January 4, 2024 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED USING A SONY NEX-5 IN FEBRUARY 2012

I photographed this in Temple Bar in February 2012 using a Sony NEX-5 camera and the images were not great nevertheless I decided to publish the three photographs today [4 January 2024].

A PUB THAT DIED BECAUSE OF A GANGLAND KILLING

July 28, 2023 by infomatique

MATTS CABRA HOUSE PUB

I have noticed in old photographs of the building and advertisements that it is spelled ‘Faussagh’ but elswhere it is ‘Fassaugh’ … are there two different spellings?

This pub was also known as Matt Whelans and I also believe that it may have been known as the Fassaugh House Pub when the gangland killing took place in April 2010.

Matt’s Cabra House Pub, also known as the Fassaugh House Pub, was a pub located at 2A Fassaugh Avenue in Cabra, Dublin. It was established in the early 1900s and was a popular local watering hole for many years. The pub was known for its friendly atmosphere and its traditional Irish music sessions.

In April 2010, the pub was the scene of a gangland murder. Eamonn ‘The Don’ Dunne, a leading figure in the Dublin crime scene, was shot dead at the pub. Dunne was sitting with his 16-year-old daughter when he was attacked. He was shot twice in the head and a number of times in the body. His daughter was unharmed.

The murder of Eamonn Dunne sent shockwaves through Dublin. He was a well-known figure in the city and his death was seen as a major escalation in the gangland violence. The Gardaí (Irish police) launched a major investigation into the murder but no one has ever been brought to justice for the crime.

In the years since the murder, Matt’s Cabra House Pub has remained closed. The building is now derelict and it is unclear what will happen to it in the future.