Insurance firm's staff row in to clean up popular mural in Limerick
Artwork under bridge had been damaged with graffiti
STAFF of insurance firm Axa have joined members of a city rowing club to clean graffiti off a well-known mural.
To mark the company’s Week for Good, volunteers from Axa’s office at Shannon, crossed over the river to clean and repaint Swimming Otters mural on the underpass of the Shannon Bridge, off O’Callaghan Strand.
Completed in 2018 by local artist Mary Conroy, with volunteers from nearby St Michael’s Rowing Club, the mural was a welcome addition to a route used by riverside runners and walkers.
It was cleaned and repainted in 2023 by volunteers from a running group led by businessman Karl Daly.
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Sadly it was again targeted by vandals, meaning a fresh paint and cover-up of graffiti was necessary. So, former St Michael’s club captain Brian Richardson, a business analyst with Axa, suggested the firm pick it as one of its projects in its Week for Good initiative, aimed at getting staff more involved in their communities.
Six staff from Axa joined two volunteers from St Michael’s Rowing Club for the clean-up, spending the equivalent of two-and-a-half days carrying it out.
"The first thing was to disinfect and clean the wall, because under the bridge can sometimes not be the nicest of areas! We gave it a clean and scrub, then we painted over the graffiti. So it's a brand new layer gone in following what was there,” explained Brian.
The work was overseen by artist Mary Conroy herself, who gave pointers, and will help apply the final touches to the mural, restoring it to its former glory.
Brian said once the repainting is complete, he will make contact with Limerick City and County Council.
He hopes the local authority can add a protective layer to the mural so in future, graffiti can be washed off a lot easier.
Brian paid tribute to the volunteers who joined him: Liza Small, Christine Gore, Ciara Small, Mike Clancy, Juan Lopez, former Limerick City TD Brian Leddin and Dr Paul O’Brien.
Brian also thanked Bowe Dental – which has surgeries in Roxboro, the city centre, Foynes and Nenagh – for covering the cost of paint supplies, plus equipment and coffee to fuel the volunteers.
The aim of the Swimming Otters mural was to create awareness of the unique wildlife that exists on the riverbank, with the artwork located at the entrance of the Westfields Wetlands area.
Mary, a graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design, received funding from a number of bodies including Limerick City and County Council for the mural.
She has continued with a river theme in recent years, currently enjoying a stint as artist-in-residence at Limerick Museum.
Here she is researching the fisheries demise after construction of the Shannon Hydro-Electric Scheme.