An Bord Pleanála have rejected a Dublin hostels’ application to replace well-known The Irish Catholic sign on the facade of the building with the word “Paddywagon”.
A conservation officer said the sign was “integral to the artistic, social and cultural significance of the building” on Dublin’s Lower Gardiner Street.
The Paddywagon hostel operator and tour provider had applied to Dublin City Council last March for permission to change the lettering on a sign for the newspaper, but this was refused. The Irish Catholic left the building in 2007.
In its appeal to the planning body, the company argued that the council’s decision to reject the proposal meant it placed “exceptional value on something mundane and ugly”, and said the council’s case that the sign was equivalent to pop art was “ironic” given its unattractive appearance.
In their contribution to the report, the conservation officer said the sign may date back to the 1930s when Perspex acrylic was first used for box signage of its type.