By Meath Live Reporter
A PAIR of utility boxes at the Ash2020 commemorative garden that have been warmly welcomed in the community may be the start of something good for East Meath. The nondescript utility box duo along one wall within the garden received a facelift last August with their brightly hued, nature-oriented designs by local artist Maireád McGuinness. With the first anniversary of Ash2020 founder Jack Holmes’s passing last December, Cllr Helen Meyer (Sinn Fein) will be seeking funding support for an East Meath-wide street art project from Meath County Council.
“The utility boxes in conjunction with Meath County Council is exactly the kind of thing I am hoping to see all over East Meath,” said Cllr Helen Meyer. “We would be very grateful to have it funded and to see it happen this year.”
The Ash2020 commemorative garden, opened in 2023 on a site owned by Dunnes Stores at the junction of Frederick Street and Declan Street was delayed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The site was opened in March 2020 to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the founding of Ashbourne by Frederick Bourne.
The late Jack Holmes, a founder of Ash2020
An evergreen Christmas tree, a project of Ash2020 and Ashbourne Historical Society was donated by Coolquay Garden Centre and planted in the garden last November in memory of Jack Holmes, the (posthumous) Pride of Place Volunteer 2024.
A detailed view of utility boxes enhanced by the street art project
