A stunning mural that was painted by a local artist to mark last year's Pride celebrations in Balbriggan has been removed after 'idiots' daubed homophobic graffiti on it for a second time.
Trish Weldridge painted the beautiful mural, which featured love hearts in the Pride colours, a week before last June's festival.
Just 11 days later, sick vandals had scrawled the word "Fags" over the artwork.
The disgusting defacement was swiftly removed and the mural became a popular local attraction with many couples, gay and straight, posing for pictures in front of it for St Valentine's Day.
But last night more sinister graffiti, this time of a hangman's noose, appeared around the mural.
It was then sadly decided to remove the mural after the latest defacement.
Local man Ronan Kelly told Dublin Live: "The mural is now gone. Trish had a look this morning and figured it would be easier to start again than to try and fix it."
He also shared the news on a local Facebook group with outraged residents slamming the thugs who destroyed the popular painting.
Ann Bullivant said: "What idiots, no respect for anything."
Margaret Murray added: "Uneducated idiots, such a shame as it was beautiful."
Jackie Keady slammed the "small minded people" who destroyed the mural while local business owner Rosemary Hodgins said: "I am so sorry about this, we loved to watch from our shop as people got their photos taken by it."
Michael Doyle wrote: "As a gay person this is heartbreaking, I used to love seeing this when going to the train station."
Others offered to donate money to contribute to the painting of a new mural.
Anither woman added: "Vandalism and bigotry all in one action, not the sort of person I would give any time to. Such a shame to destroy such a lovely mural."
