Online petition to restore Falkirk’s Irn-Bru mural

AN online petition looking to raise support for the restoration of Falkirk’s A.G Barr mural has gathered 380 signatures in less than a week.

Falkirk residents believe the Irn-Bru mural is a part of the town's heritage. Picture: Facebook

The change.org petition is referring to a painting on the gable end of a building next to the former A.G Barr factory on Cockburn Street - marking the town’s 126 year history with the soft drink company, famous for creating the ‘other national drink’ Irn-Bru.

The mural was covered up in the mid-1990s, with a billboard currently covering the original site.

The online petition was started by Falkirk resident David Reid who wrote “We want to restore the Barrs Falkirk mural to its former glory and help preserve the cultural link between the town of Falkirk and A.G Barrs soft drinks company”. 
The petition is looking to gather 500 signatures and is well on the way to that target, after gaining 380 supporters in the 6 days since being originally put forward.

Once reaching the target number, the petition will go to the Scottish Government for their consideration.

Barr soft drinks began when Robert Barr opened the first factory in Falkirk back in 1875. Production remained within the town until 2001, when the soft drinks company moved to neighbouring Cumbernauld.

The company launched Irn-Bru in 1901, with the secret recipe being passed down from generation to generation of the Barr family.

There is a small plaque marking the original Barr factory site, but many local residents of Falkirk feel that the original mural is huge part of the town’s heritage.

Commenters below the petition wrote: “I’d love to see that back! Everybody loved the Irn bru painting” and “I grew up right in Falkirk and it’s part of my history and the history of the community and should be preserved simply because the people there want it kept”.

The petition’s progress can be viewed at www.change.org.