Limerick Street Art that vanished...

1. Artist: Guido van Helten. This piece was a gem. A delicate monochrome portrait of a young girl peering down William Street. The artist used Limerick City Library to search for reference photos and decided on this subtle image. The lifespan of the portrait was short lived and the concrete exterior returned to it's former grey glory only a few months after completion. 

2: Artist: Smug. This one needs no introductions. Initially met with hostility this piece went on to be embraced widely by the Limerick community and tourists alike. The instagramability and juxtaposition with the castle made this piece a visual delight. We got great mileage out of this one. A combination of weather, defacement and some community persuasion saw this wall re-purposed. The wall now hosts a commemoration to the finest Limerick woman Dolores O'Riordan by the artist Aches.  

3. Artist: Maser. The Parnell street petrol station. Ed Ruscha would of been fond of this one. The creative beacon lit up your trek to the train station. This installation had a relativity good lifespan in comparison to others. The structure was demolished to make way for the new train station plaza. The dilapidated station was put to good use in its final few months and set a good example on how Limerick can utilise derelict spaces on a short term basis.

4. Artist: Solus. A portrait of a young boy using a baseball bat to pose in the shape of a crucifix with "suchi - slife" (that is not a typo) painted on the knuckles. This artwork made little sense. From the subject matter to the colour scheme this portrait never really settled in the community and was quickly painted over. The only artwork in the list where a grey wall was actually more welcome.

5. Artist: Joe Caslin. Size does matter. A hooded youth pasted on to an old grain silo. That is the type of street art I can get behind. The installation of the artwork in itself was a remarkable feat. A subject matter that resonated with the community and a creative gift to the visual landscape of Limerick. The transient manner of the artwork helped create discussions amongst Limerick people. As the weather played its role and the natural destruction of the piece began, conversations were started about the role of street art in our city. Limerick people talking about art, what more can you ask from a piece.  

Street art is temporary by nature. The serendipity associated with the art form breathes life into a city. The paint fades away and buildings get demolished. The visual landscape of Limerick is continuously in flux and this will continue into the future. Urban sins have certainly been committed with the removal of some of these artworks but the vast majority ran their course. The 061 started as a street art project and you can still see some of the visual interventions dotted around the city. You can check out my Art down below. Have you any old Limerick street art that you miss that's not included in the list? Leave a comment.

Like street art? There are free Limerick street art maps to download from my site. Just hit the menu button and go into "Maps". Each map takes about 20 minutes to walk. Great for school groups visiting the city or if the route falls within your 2km radius. Let me know if you put them to use!