A new mural on the gable wall of a restaurant and bar outside Carrigart has drawn admiring glances from passers-by in recent days.

Renowned Armagh artist Dean Keane was given the gable of the Olde Glen Bar as his canvas and the finished product is a nod to Kinnegar Brewing.

Local and visitors alike looked on throughout much of Tuesday as a bare wall was rejuvenated thanks to a cherry picker, cans and pots. The mural features a tractor, bunnies and the Kinnegar logo.

Visual Waste, aka Dean Keane, is best known for his original Monotone Portrait Street Art pieces which can be found in many business and urban landscapes across Northern Ireland, Europe and America.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Dean Keane said that this was his first time to work on Donegal.

“I’ve never really been to Donegal before and yet it’s right on my doorstep. I did a mural in Castlefin on Monday and then came on down to Carrigart on Tuesday.

“Cormac Walsh (Olde Glen Bar) got in contact. He’s built a new part onto the bar and he was looking to do something with the gable. He was also keen to work with Kinnegar and got them involved and they came up with the artwork which they gave to me and I’ve reproduced it on a larger scale,” he said.
Using a doodle grid, the artist drew on the wall and used those drawings as reference points.

“At the start of the process it looks like someone has vandalised the wall but once I get the drawing to scale I paint over it. It’s all completely free hand and I used spray paints,” he explained.

The finished product is guaranteed to last for at least fifteen years.

“The paints I use are UV resistant while they boys had just painted the wall with good quality masonry paint which probably gives it another ten to fifteen years – unless of course they decide to put up something fresh at which point I’ll gladly come back,” he laughed.

“The weather started to turn a bit in the evening but I managed to get it finished in one day. I stopped at Castlefin on the way down and did a mural for a new ice-cream shop – Mackles. It’s not open just yet though,” he added.

Upon the mural’s completion last week, Dean said he received a number of favourable comments.

“There’s been a bit reaction. Most of my work can be seen in and around Belfast but I’ve also done murals in London and Europe while I spent a week last Christmas doing work on a mansion in Vegas.

“Three or four people are now looking to commission me to do further work in Donegal so it looks like I might be back in the not too distant future,” he said.