“I knew this would be no ordinary mural,” said artist Eric Okdeh as he looked across a freezing parking lot to the side wall of Marty Magee’s pub on Route 420 in Prospect Park.
More than 100 people who came on Saturday for the dedication of Okdeh’s masterwork, depicting scenes from Irish history, apparently agreed. Bundled up in heavy coats, scarves, mittens and hats, they disregarded the cold and took it all in. It’s a lot to take in. Most seemed enraptured by it.
Commodore Barry, Michael Collins, the immigrant railroad workers of Duffy’s Cut, the Molly Maguires and more—they all grace the side of the pub in a theme that, if you look at it carefully, artfully blends in the green, white and gold colors of the Irish flag.
Owner Joe Magee had suggested some slightly more in-your-face rebel themes, Okdeh kidded, “but I said, ‘We can’t do that—we’ll scare everyone away.'”
Okdeh, Magee and Prospect Park Mayor Jeff Harris presided over the brief ceremony, with Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director Michael Bradley as emcee.
After the dedication, the crowd filed into Magee’s bar to warm up with a drink or two, and to celebrate the occasion with music from Blackthorn, and guests from several other area Irish bands.
We have the pics.
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