The Writing’s No Longer On The Wall

The trouble started, apparently, with a complaint to Wicklow County Council that, bejiggers, it was difficult to drive by Nicky’s Village Market without being distracted.

The person in question just couldn’t quite handle motoring pass the Kilcoole institution without taking their eyes off the road to marvel at the wonders on display.

And so it was that a fella from Wicklow County Council turned up yesterday and painted over the roadside murals of shiny, happy Kilcoolers going about their fruit and veg business.

Mercifully, not all of this magical mural by local artist Michael Kunz got the Emulsion Elimination treatment, the bulk of his fine work still adorning the entrance and the outdoor café of Nicky’s.

Having already brightened up other parts of the town with his murals – most notably the town’s proud involvement in the Rising and its aftermath – the first Michael heard about the council cover-up was when we got in touch last night. The Kilcoole Community Page on Facebook had already been awash with anger, speculation and exasperation, with one articulate young woman dismissing the move as ‘an absolute load of shite‘, whilst a young man-about-town reckoned Nicky’s ‘should have told them to f@@k right off‘.

We’ve been in touch with Wicklow County Council, to try and determine exactly the reason why Michael’s work has been removed. We await their answer with baited breath, especially given the suspicion that the complaint may have been about the sandwich boards out on the footpath being the distraction rather than the mural. Cllr Whitmore reckons it’s all down to a three-mural limit agreed with WCC [right] when it comes to advertisting.

Turns out the little busy-body might be right. We checked with WCC, and after five days of chin-stroking, they sent us a statement, written in double-Irish, about Condition No.3, ‘three months to rectify the signs‘, and goodnight.

In the meantime, a typically sunny Michael Kunz doesn’t seem all that bothered about the whole affair – just mildly bemused… 

You can check out our March 2018 interview with Michael on his gunrunning murals here, and Elvis’ review of Nicky’s Village Market here.