Dublin’s Red Squirrel Mural Is Being Replaced By A Hotel

The iconic Red Squirrel mural in the city centre is being removed on Tuesday, August 6, so that a hotel can be built in its place.

The sad news of the mural’s removal was announced back in June, although the removal date has just been officially confirmed along with the news that a new hotel will be built at the Tara Street location. The mural was created by Portuguese environmental artist Artur Bordalo, who used a combination of painting and sculpture to create the 3D illusion.

Our favourite piece of art in Dublin City. Red Squirrel near Tara st Dart station. #Dublin #nature #art pic.twitter.com/EsPoFEkeR3

— WILD. (@wildfullstop) July 21, 2017

The piece was constructed using rubbish and waste found around the city, such as damaged car parts, televisions, bicycle frames, chicken wire and office materials, and the installation took five days to complete. Bordalo also created similar artworks in 24 other countries. The construction of the piece was captured over two years by Irish filmmakers Trevor Whelan and Rua Meegan in their short film A Life Of Waste, which went on to win several awards. You can watch it for yourself here. Co-director and co-curator Trevor Whelan said, “We wanted to make this film to illustrate the character, motivations and creativity of Bordalo II and to highlight the environmental dangers of our wasteful society. Together with an amazing, dedicated team, we overcame many obstacles to make this documentary and to bring the artist to Dublin to create one of his iconic sculptures. “We are very saddened by the news that Dublin’s ‘Red Squirrel’ will be removed to make way for yet another hotel. The artwork has had a great impact on the city and has received a lot of love from both locals and tourists.” READ NEXT: Dublin’s New Museum Of Literature Is Opening Its Doors On Culture Night