Buffalo Irish Center's new mural celebrates city's rich Irish heritage

The Buffalo Irish Center in upstate New York unveiled a striking new mural on the side of its building at 245 Abbott Road on Tuesday,  September 24.

“The new mural project is something we began discussing back in January of this year and work on it was completed during the months of August and September,” Tim Flanagan, the Chairman of the Buffalo Irish Center, told IrishCentral on Wednesday.

Flanagan said that the design idea for the new mural came from the collective brainstorming of the Buffalo Irish Center Board of Directors and the mural’s artist, Tara Bystran-Pruski.

Ahead of the mural's unveiling, Bystran-Pruski shared some behind-the-scenes clips of her progress, including an up-close look at the "gold wood-cut style detail over a forest-green base."

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A post shared by Tara Bystran-Pruski (@tarabystran)

In another post, she shared a clip of the finishing touches on the mural's red stag.

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A post shared by Tara Bystran-Pruski (@tarabystran)

“The mural, to us, really tells the story of all the Irish who came to Buffalo and Western New York since the time of the Great Hunger and the legacy of Irish culture and heritage they brought with them to their new homeland,” Flanagan told IrishCentral on Wednesday.

He went on to praise Bystran-Pruski, saying she did “an outstanding job in bringing the new Buffalo Irish Center mural to life!”

Flanagan added that the mural came about thanks to funding secured by New York State Assemblyman Patrick B. Burke and in collaboration with Arts Services Inc (ASI).

Assemblyman Burke was on hand for Tuesday’s mural unveiling. 

He said on social media afterward that he, the Buffalo Irish Center, ASI, and Bystran-Pruski "share a love" of the City of Buffalo, as well as "making art accessible to all and who want to make this building a source of pride for our community."

Burke said the "striking" new mural "celebrates Buffalo’s rich Irish history, culture, and heritage."