Painting of final SEEK 2021 mural starts outside St Patrick's Cathedral

Work on the final SEEK 2021 mural has gotten underway in Dundalk today, outside St Patricks Cathedral.

The mural, which is set to be an interpretation of the life of famous Dundalk botanist, Dr Thomas Coulter, is being designed and painted by Sardinian artist Tellas.

The mural itself is on the side of a building beside St Patrick's Cathedral, with the work set to be complete before the end of next week.

St Patricks Cathedral Dundalk, where the new mural is being painted

Speaking to the Democrat, Dundalk BIDS manager and organiser of the SEEK Contemporary Arts Festival, Martin McElligott said that there was great excitement over the final mural of the programme.

“We’re looking forward to this one… This guy [Tellas] is completely different, he has a different style to everybody really and that’s why he was selected for the person we’re talking about, Thomas J Coulter, a very famous botanist from Dundalk,” said Mr McElligott.

“It’s a completely different style, it’s unique.”

Dr Coulter, who is from Dundalk, was born in 1793 and travelled across the world, cataloguing plants in Mexico, Arizona and California, before returning to Ireland and founded the herbarium in Trinity College Dublin.

He passed away in 1843, with numerous plants being named in his honour since.

This is set to be the final mural of the 2021 SEEK programme, following the record-breaking mural of Lugh painted on the side of the Crowne Plaza Dundalk by Australian artist Smug One.