AN INDEPENDENT Louth councillor has started fundraising to rebuild his landmark thatched cottage after an insurance company refused to pay him because of a mural depicting the Battle of the Boyne on the building.
Frank Godfrey’s cottage in Donore was destroyed in a suspected arson attack almost two years ago.
The cottage was noted for its large mural depicting the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. The insurance company, Lloyds of London, refused to pay Mr Godfrey’s claim because it said he had not told it about the mural.
He appealed the ruling to the Financial Services Ombudsman, which upheld the insurance company’s decision last year.
The ombudsman ruled that the presence of the mural “by virtue of the nature of the subject, would have been the source of some provocation, albeit to a limited number of intolerant individuals”.
Mr Godfrey said it never occurred to him to mention the mural when taking out insurance. “They said the house wouldn’t have been set on fire if the mural wasn’t there,” he said. He said the cottage was always open to people from the nationalist and unionist traditions, and he was surprised it should be cited as an issue in a time of peace.
Mr Godfrey said there had been a few incidents of paint being thrown at the mural in the past, but nothing that suggested it would be targeted by arsonists.
The mural was painted on the cottage by a local artist about 25 years ago and had become a landmark for tourists exploring the Boyne Valley.
“I can’t say how many people visited, but hundreds have had their photos taken at the gable of the cottage, particularly people from Northern Ireland, England and Scotland,” he said.
The cottage, which is several hundred years old, was burned down in April, 2008.
The cottage had housed historical memorabilia collected by Mr Godfrey, and much of this was destroyed.
Gardaí investigated the suspected arson attack but no one was ever charged in connection with the offence.
Mr Godfrey is now considering pursuing a legal challenge to secure his insurance claim.
Neither Lloyds nor the Financial Services Ombudsman would comment on the matter yesterday.
