‘Art can be political,’ says homeowner whose house is painted with Garda eviction mural

A Dublin homeowner who volunteered his house for a mural featuring a controversial image of gardaí overseeing a Famine-era eviction says “It’s important that art can be political.”

Jamie Goldrick, who lives at Arbour Hill in Dublin, says the “totally unwarranted” reaction to the original image posted online by the visual artist Spicebag played a part in him allowing the mural to go up on the side of his house.

“This perverse universe that establishment figures live in feels the police are above criticism,” he said.

The mural is an enlarged version of an image created by Adam Doyle (also known as Spicebag) in March 2021. The work, which adapts an eviction painting by Cork artist Daniel MacDonald (1821-1853) to include gardaí and private security workers, was reshared recently in response to the Government’s decision to lift the winter stay on evictions.

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Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin tweeted the image with the caption “No words needed”, prompting criticism from Antoinette Cunningham, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors who described the TD’s post as “deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate”.

Mr Ó Broin later expressed regret to the Agsi for drawing them “into a row on Government housing policy”, stressing the focus of his criticism was the Coalition.

[ Garda representative chief welcomes ‘clarity’ from Eoin Ó Broin over eviction tweet ]

Mr Goldrick said he was already contemplating painting a mural on his wall when Mr Doyle contacted him about using his house.

“I got a phone call out of the blue there three days ago saying there was meant to be a mural going ahead on a house in Phibsborough but it fell through. The artist was booked in, the paint was there, the lift was there and [I was asked] could they use my house.”

In all, it took artist Caoilfhionn Hanton two days to complete the mural. The work was finished on Thursday night.

Noting that “no money changed hands” for use of his house, Mr Goldrick said: “In a liberal democracy it’s important that art can be political. This outrage, it’s feigned, contrived and disingenuous. Putting it up on the house calls it out for what it is. It was privilege masking itself as victimhood and it needed to be called out for what it is.”

Mr Goldrick, who said Mr Doyle contacted him through mutual friends, did not seek permission from Dublin City Council prior to work on the mural starting. When asked if he was concerned he might be required to paint over the work, he responded “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

The Irish Times has sought comment from Dublin City Council on the matter. The council has previously sought the removal of street art where planning permission was not first received.

[ Street art in Ireland: The thorny issue of what is permitted ]

Speaking to The Irish Times earlier this week, Mr Doyle said a lot of people “seem to be missing the point” of his depiction of gardaí.

“I think Government just tries to play it [evictions] off as a formal, legal proceeding whereas I think because of our history and national psyche and cultural consciousness, it symbolically means a lot more to people,” said Mr Doyle.

“I decided to reissue it [the image] as prints to raise money for charity. I haven’t decided which charity yet but I’m thinking Focus Ireland or Threshold, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.

“There’s people going fairly mad about it, there’s obviously going to be all sorts of political point-scoring going on but I don’t really use Twitter so I don’t really care. I’m just happy a lot of people are buying it and the money is being raised [for charity].”