The art work on the walls of the restaurant combines local historical imagery and bold modern style art. The mural complements the rustic industrial style of the restaurant. Making use of mixed-media, Sarah combines materials associated with street art; paint, spray-paint, collage, stencils, and layering. Strong, bold colours have been used to create a stylised graphic mural.  

Elements of the mural include, plants, bees, animals, fish, vegetables, a farmer, a boat, land, and sea. Working with the best seasonal produce from the west of Ireland the elements capture what the House of Plates is passionate about. Using locally produced foods from their polytunnel, beehive huts, the locality and region the House of Plates is  a unique dinning experience.  An art history reference to the iconic Great Wave by Hokusai features on the wall which takes on a symbolic meaning of an important change happening. 

Greeting people with a fáilte, owner Barry Ralph can be seen standing tall painted on the wall as you enter the premises. Working as part of a team is one of the guiding principles used in House of Plates. Other hard working staff members who work together with Barry are also represented in the mural.   

Owners Barry and Helen Ralph are passionate about their home town of Castlebar. The town is steeped in history. It was important to acknowledge the people and places of this great town and county. The pictures of local people and places down through the years can be seen on the walls of the restaurant, keeping memories and history alive. For example the 1936 Mayo all Ireland winning senior team, Monsignor Horan at Knock Airport, Nan Sweeney’s shop on Spencer street in the 1950’s, and the first Ban Gardaí in Castlebar. Iconic locations down through the decades can be seen like the Hat Factory, Main Street, The Mall, McHale Road, and the construction of the Church Of The Holy Rosary Castlebar, to name but a few. 

These vintage photographs take on a new lease of life, giving them pride of place where they can be viewed and admired by a wider audience. This project would not have been completed if it were not for the local people of Castlebar sharing their photographs with Sarah. On behalf of the artist and House of Plates, thank you for your contribution.