Residents in Omeath were disgusted when they woke on Saturday morning of February 28th and discovered that one of the murals telling the seaside village’s history had been vandalised overnight.
The mural by Bellurgan artist Colin O’Neill, who works as CN Mural Designs, had been commissioned by Omeath Tidy Towns to depict the women who journeyed across the mountains by The Cadger’s Pass to Anaverna and on into Dundalk to sell fish at the market.
Each girl carried a creel on her back, holding two stone of herrings wrapped in seaweed. Annie Flynn was the last of the Cadger women who made that arduous journey which was so important to the local economy as it meant that the fishermen could sell their catch.
It is one of several murals located throughout the village celebrating its rich history and environment and this one had been defaced by crude lettering being scrawled across the surface.
Luckily, Colin O’Neill had had the foresight to protect the newly created mural with GraffStopTM from MSP Coatings and the cleaning operation was a simple one. Colin advised the members of the Cooley Peninsula Community Alert and Omeath Tidy Towns who then sprang into action using mild detergent, sponges and soapy water to remove the graffiti. The mural was restored to its original state, and the memory of the Cadger women of Omeath has been preserved.
The restored mural in honour of Omeath’s Cadger Women
Michael Muckian of Cooley Peninsula Community Alert says they are urging anyone with information about the vandalism to contact the Gardai and remain vigilant as they want to ensure the village is shown in the best light as the important tourist season kicksoff.
“It was incredibly disappointing to see such a terrible act of vandalism carried out on something that means so much to our village and were thrilled the community,” a spokesperson for Omeath Tidy Towns said.
https://www.mspcoatings.ie/graffiti-protection/
