Iconic Hollywood sign is repaired following damage
THERE ARE ALSO PLANS TO FUND A MORE PERMANENT STRUCTURE TO IMPROVE THE ICONIC SIGN
THE Hollywood sign overlooking the scenic west Wicklow village has been reinstated after suffering damage in recent storms.
Wicklow’s Hollywood has close ties with glamorous Hollywood in California. Local man Matthew Guirk is said to have left the village in the 1840s to start a new-life in America. He eventually settled in Los Angeles and opened a racetrack, which he named after his hometown.
A replica of the iconic Hollywood sign was originally made by Thomas Tutty in 1998 in honour of the Tour De France stage held that year in County Wicklow.
The sign was eventually vandalised but a second sign overlooking the village was put in place in 2011 to mark the first Hollywood Fair. That sign was badly damaged during stormy weather but has no been repaired by Hollywood Tidy Towns.
Countless numbers of photos of the sign have been taken down the years by people passing through.
‘It was unbelievable the number of people commenting on how much they missed the sign. It wasn’t just locals either. Visitors and passers-by also commented,’ said Marie Tutty
A number of local residents made some new letters and replaced the sign once they experienced a period of weather good enough to allow them carry out the work.
‘The sign was damaged by strong winds. It wasn’t the greatest of timber to begin with. It was given to Tommy and he picked the best bits out of it. The structure was damaged for the past number of weeks but the weather was too wet to do anything about it. The sign was missed so it’s great to have it back. It’s in a prominent position so it can be seen from different vantage points,’ said Marie.
There are also plans to replace the sign lettering with a more permanent structure. The possibility of funding stream options has been discussed at Baltinglass
Municipal District level.
Cllr Patsy Glennon said: ‘It has to be the most photographed sign in the whole of County Wicklow. It’s a great tourist attraction and everyone who passes by seems to stop to have their photograph taken with the sign in the background. I know there are plans to secure funding for a more permanent sign in the near future. I have set aside some of my discretionary funding for the new sign.’