The next stage in the creation of the Rebel Trail, the painting of a mural depicting Mallow in the 1900s, began in Mallow this week when artist Neil O’Dwyer from Cashel started work on a gable wall at the bottom of O’Brien Street. Working from a cherry picker at the busy traffic junction, the Cashel artist hopes to be finished by the weekend.

Several stages of the Rebel Trail, highlighting areas of the town in which there were incidents during the War of Independence and Civil War, have now been completed. The first stage was the red line which leads from the Railway Station, and this was followed by the erection of ‘Shadow of a Gunman’ style silhouettes on walls in Emmet Street, Ball Alley Lane, and the Lidl laneway next to Mallow Library. Plaques will be erected at nine points along the route, and hand-held MP3 players have also been produced which give details of the history of the various stop-off points.

An initial walk of the Rebel Trail was held earlier this month, and another will be held this Friday, leaving the Railway Station at 6.30pm, led by local historian Dan Doolan.

Mr. Liam Mannix told the Mallow Star that the aim of the Rebel Trail initiative is to make Mallow an outdoor museum, to attract tourists who will be able to learn about the many incidents which happened in the town in the lead-up to and after independence. Mr. Mannix also thanked Mallow Town Council for providing barriers for pedestrian detours on O’Brien Street during the painting of the mural, and Oliver Casey who provided the cherry picker free of charge for the duration.