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The Claddagh Embrace

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The Claddagh Embrace
Claddagh Embrace
The Claddagh Embrace prior to destruction
Map
ArtistJoe Caslin
Completion date
10 April 2015 (2015-04-10)
MediumPaper, glue
MovementYes Equality campaign
SubjectMale same-sex couple
DesignationMural
ConditionDestroyed
Location
Preceded byOur Nation's Sons
Followed byLesbian mural on Caherkinmonwee Castle, County Galway
Websitejoecaslin.com/pages/equality

The Claddagh Embrace, or just Claddagh Embrace, was a large scale paper wall mural on a building in Dublin, Ireland created by street artist Joe Caslin. The mural was unveiled on 10 April 2015 during the lead up to the referendum on the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which legalized same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland. On 21 April 2015 Dublin City Council (DCC) sent a warning letter calling for the mural's removal as the mural was placed on a historic building without requesting planning permission from Dublin City Council. Rain heavily damaged the mural on 29 April 2015. The mural depicted a male same-sex couple, and is considered a symbol of same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland. A month later, Carlin released a sister piece featuring a female same-sex couple in County Galway.

History

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Background

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Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan lost a case in the High Court in 2006 for the recognition by Ireland of their Canadian same-sex marriage.[1] The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 instituted civil partnership in Irish law. After the 2011 general election, the Fine Gael and Labour parties formed a coalition government, whose programme included the establishment of a Constitutional Convention to examine potential changes on specified issues, including "Provision for the legalisation of same-sex marriage". The Convention considered the issue in May 2013 and voted to recommend that the state should be required, rather than merely permitted, to allow for same-sex marriage.[2] Its report was formally submitted in July and the government formally responded in December, when Taoiseach Enda Kenny said a referendum would be held "no later than mid-2015".[3]

Some legal academics claimed that extending marriage to same-sex couples did not require a constitutional amendment and could have been accomplished by an ordinary Act of the Oireachtas.[4][5] Then-minister Shatter disagreed in November 2013, stating that there was "ample case law" to the effect that "marriage is understood as being between one man and one woman".[6]

In January 2015, the wording of the proposed amendment was agreed at a special cabinet meeting and published in the press. The bill was formally introduced in the Dáil by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald.[7][8]

Creation and destruction

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The Claddagh Embrace was created by Roscommon town street artist and LGBTQ rights activist Joe Caslin as part of the Yes Equality campaign[9] during the lead up to the referendum on the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which legalized same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland.[10][11][12] It was pasted[13] and unveiled 10 April 2015[14] on the historic Rick's Burgers building opposite gay bar The George at the corner of Dame Street and South Great George's Street in Dublin, Ireland.[12][15][16][17]

It was created using paper and a non-acrylic glue made from potatoes,[11][18] and created on the Rick's Burgers building with permission from the owner.[19] It was inspired by a photograph taken by Dublin photographer Sean Jackson depicting two men,[10] and Frederic William Burton's painting The Meeting on the Turret Stairs.[18] It depicted a male same-sex couple cuddling in a monochromatic "pencil drawn" style.[18][17][15] The name is a reference to the Claddagh ring.[13]

On 15 April, DCC issued a complaint letter to Caslin, calling for its removal, as Caslin had not sought planning permission for artwork on the historic building.[20][21] Prior to this, DCC was sent several requests for the statue's removal or covering up from people campaigning for the referendum to fail.[22] After the letter, 15,000 people signed an online petition to save the mural.[20]

On 29 April 2015, it was heavily damaged after days of expected continuous rainfall,[11] with parts of it peeling and withering as the paper dissolved in the rain.[18][23] Speaking to TheDailyEdge.ie, Caslin said that he was expecting it to happen.[24]

Reception and legacy

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On 20 May 2015, it was on the front-page of the International New York Times for a story about Ireland legalizing same-sex marriage.[25][13] Two days later – when the referendum passed – people were seen dancing under it.[26] Newstalk considered it to have "sparked controversy" after its installation, calling it controversial.[27] A month later, Caslin created a sister piece on Caherkinmonwee Castle in County Galway.[16]

Her.ie called the artwork a "poignant vocal point" that would be remembered whenever people think about the amendment.[28] Art critic Cristín Leach, Gay Community News (GCN) and Belfast Live consider it to be a symbol of Irish marriage equality.[13][10][29] RTÉ described the piece as "moving", "iconic" and Caslin's most recognizable work, saying "The iconic image captured the hope, empathy and significance of that referendum, but for Caslin, identity - and the fight to express that identity - has been long intertwined with his art".[16][17] Additionally, writing for RTÉ, journalist Lauren Murphy considered the artwork to be "roundly hailed for its subtle-yet-powerful statement".[15] The Westmeath Independent said it was "the most potent symbol of the pro-marriage equality side", also describing it as "striking and highly-acclaimed".[30] The College View said it was an emblem of the referendum.[31]

In 2017, the artwork was selected as part of a series of newspaper articles by Leach for RTÉ about 21 artworks that she believed best "defined Modern Ireland" [sic], saying that it is "a single artwork [that] can be identified as having had a significant political impact [and] carried weight during a time of noted societal shift." Leach described the men's expression as "worried, sad, perhaps even afraid-looking".[13] In Michael G. Cronin's 2022 books Revolutionary bodies: Homoeroticism and the political imagination in Irish writing and Sexual/Liberation: Síreacht Longings for another Ireland, he considered the piece to be developing a "very significant media currency [..] as a key signifier of the marriage equality campaign".[32][33]

References

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  1. ↑ "Zappone & Anor -v- Revenue Commissioners & Ors". Judgments. Courts Service of Ireland. pp. [2006] IEHC 404. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Same-sex marriage report submitted to Government by Convention on the Constitution". Constitutional Convention. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Third Report of the Constitutional Convention - Same-Sex Marriage: Statements". Dáil Éireann debates. 17 December 2013. p. 35. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  4. ↑ O'Mahony, Conor (24 March 2014). "Is a referendum needed to introduce same-sex marriage?". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Daly, Eoin (15 July 2012). "Same-sex marriage doesn't need a referendum". Human Rights in Ireland. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 November 2013 Written Answer 120 Constitutional Amendments". Houses of the Oireachtas Dáil Éireann debates. 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  7. ↑ McGee, Harry (22 January 2015). "Same-sex marriage referendum wording published". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015". Oireachtas. January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Sharp, Paul. "Mural for Marriage Equality on South Great George's Street, Dublin". National Library of Ireland. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 Bock, Phoebe (6 August 2024). "How Irish street artist Joe Caslin advocates for social change through murals". Dublin: Gay Community News. Archived from the original on 7 November 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 Emmah (29 April 2015). "Dublin's Marriage Equality Mural Washed Away". Dublin: Gay Community News. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  12. 1 2 Hedderman, Zara (8 August 2018). "Remember this 2015 #YesEquality mural? Here are 7 more of Joe Caslin's creations". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Leach, Cristín (28 June 2017). "21st Century Ireland in 21 Artworks: The Claddagh Embrace". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  14. ↑ Jane (10 April 2015). "Artist To Unveil HUGE Pro-Equality Mural In Dublin Tonight". Gay Community News. Archived from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 Murphy, Lauren (30 May 2026). "10 memorable Irish street artworks, from CMAT to Claddagh Embrace". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 7 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 Vaughan, Connell (26 April 2018). "The street theatre of Joe Caslin's art". TU Dublin: RTÉ. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 Keegan, Trevor (25 August 2025). "Out & Proud: Two queer creatives on using art for connection". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 30 August 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Tipton, Gemma (2 June 2018). "Art in Focus: Finding Power – Joe Caslin". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 21 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  19. ↑ Jane (22 April 2015). "Pro-Equality Mural May Be Taken Down For "Breach of Planning Act"". Dublin: Gay Community News. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 Griffin, Dan (23 April 2015). "Artist expecting to hear about fate of Dublin mural". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  21. ↑ Barry, Aoife (21 April 2015). "Warning letter sent calling for removal of giant same-sex marriage mural". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  22. ↑ Barry, Aoife (17 April 2015). "Calls for marriage equality mural to be removed to "give the No side justice"". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 13 December 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  23. ↑ Sheils McNamee, Michael (29 April 2015). "The same-sex marriage mural has been damaged by the weather". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  24. ↑ McLysaught, Emer (29 April 2015). "George's Street mural creator has said it was 'never meant to last'". TheDailyEdge.ie. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  25. ↑ Calnan, Denise (20 May 2015). "'Yes' campaign mural goes global - makes front page of International New York Times". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  26. ↑ Milton, Stephen (18 May 2025). "Stephen Milton: 'With a move Down Under, our certificate was worthless. Naively, we assumed same-sex marriage would be legalised when we got there'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2026. And then, right before 5.30pm on May 22, under a light grey sky, an official result was declared at Dublin Castle. Ireland's same-sex marriage referendum prevailed by 62 to 38pc with a turnout of more than 60pc. Some 1,201,607 people voted in favour with 734,300 against [..] Revellers danced under the Claddagh Embrace, artist Joe Caslin's haunting four-storey mural of two men clinging onto each other, a piece of art so moving, Dublin City Council should have never allowed the mural to peel and wither
  27. ↑ "Enormous second marriage-equality mural installed in Galway". Limerick: Newstalk. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  28. ↑ Delaney, Cassie (31 July 2016). "Joe Caslin's latest mural is absolutely captivating". Her.ie. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  29. ↑ Jones, Christopher (5 November 2021). "Top Irish street artist to unveil his latest piece on the side of the iconic Ulster Museum". Belfast Live. Archived from the original on 13 December 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  30. ↑ Grennan, Geraldine (24 April 2022). "Joe brings art home with striking Roscommon murals". Westmeath Independent. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  31. ↑ Feenane, Trudy (21 October 2020). "The power of street art". The College View. Dublin City University. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  32. ↑ G. Cronin 2022a, p. 197 "The Dublin image developed a very significant media currency – in Ireland and internationally – as a key signifier of the marriage equality campaign."
  33. ↑ G. Cronin 2022b, p. 111 "In April and May 2015 one image developed a very significant media currency – in Ireland and internationally – as an expressive signifier of the marriage equality campaign. Joe Caslin’s 'The Claddagh Embrace'."

Books

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