An irishtimes.com video of a Dublin man who built a house from decommissioned euro notes has gone viral, attracting thousands of viewers on YouTube.
The video taken by journalist Jennifer Wholey of artist Frank Buckley’s homage to the country’s ill-fated construction boom has been viewed more than 287,000 times on the video sharing site.
The three-room apartment built in the lobby of his Dublin studio is constructed from €1.4 billion of shredded tender obtained from the Central Bank mint.
The story of Buckley's "billion-euro home" has been reported across the globe from The Times in India to the Toronto Sun in Canada, and even in the business magazine, Forbes.
Time magazine also picked up the story of Buckley's unique installation/home, opening its report with the line: "How did an unemployed, broke, nearly homeless Irishman build a €1.4 billion home?"
Buckley’s studio is aptly situated on the first floor of Glass House office building in Smithfield, one of the many office buildings in the city still vacant as a result of the recession.
Inspired by the “madness” of the credit bubble, Buckley constructed the walls of his home from blocks of euro shreddings. The largest expense was €35 on wallpaper.
He has been beavering away at the project since late last year, regularly putting in 12-hour shifts, and has been living on-site since December 1st.
Tourist and locals alike are free to come and visit Buckley’s billion-euro home.