It has been one of the most visible calls for a Yes vote in the upcoming Marriage Referendum, but now it seems the Dublin marriage equality mural might not last until the vote on May 22nd. And it seems the Irish weather is to blame.
Artist Joe Caslin's mural, called the Claddagh Embrace, shows two men hugging in a promotion of gay rights. It has been the subject of controversy and complaints since it appeared a number of weeks ago. In one incident, the homepage of the Christian pro-life group Youth Defence was replaced by a photo of the mural on Dublin's George's Street after the organisation's website was hacked - a hacking that was condemned by members of the Yes Equality campaign.
In recent days the mural has started to deteriorate. Images from overnight and this morning have shown the damage done to the mural:
With his mural ruled legal, it's sad to see it damaged. Joe Casin please fix it, such a beautiful art piece. #MarRef pic.twitter.com/A4YBSY598P
— Dale McDermott (@dalemcdermott) April 29, 2015
While some people might assume the damage was done deliberately, it seems the recent rain in Dublin is to blame. As The George Bar said on their Facebook page, "such a shame the mural has started to come down itself! No one took it down. It was made of biodegradable paper."
