A leading Irish street artist has said he believes that a mural painted on Dublin’s Moore Street, which contains the signature of the British artist Banksy, is a fake.
Will St Ledger said he has seen the stencil, and that given its amateur style, theme and the fact that Banksy does not sign his work in the depicted way anymore, he is “99.9% positive it's fake”.
The work shows Padraig Pearse surrendering to British generals, however, in this version the British soldiers are wearing builders hi-vis jackets.
The site has been the subject of controversy as four buildings relating to the 1916 Rising are to be preserved and restored, while other buildings in the area are to be demolished to make way for the building of a shopping centre.
Speaking to RTE News, Mr St Ledger said he thought the fact that the work is fake is a shame, because he felt the idea was a decent one and a good cause and the artist should not be afraid to take ownership of it.
