14 years later, you’d think we as a nation would have moved on. But we never will.
Once it goes on Reeling in the Years, it’s etched in our brains forever.
On January 8th 2010, the landscape of Irish pop culture was changed forever when a mystery man walking hurriedly on an icy pavement lost his footing in a gravity-defying fall.
To this day, the man who slipped on the ice has never come forward to identify himself, but that hasn’t stopped Irish artists across all mediums creating iconic work inspired by the scene. We’ve selected some of our faves, from watercolour paintings to comedy sketches, tattoos to death drop edits. Let’s get into it.
Mind where you step.
5. A Watercolour Painting
Three years ago, watercolourist Aine Macken was commissioned to create this artistic reenactment of the infamous scene. She’s really captured the angst and sense of drama, don’t you think?
4. A Death Drop Video Edit
After a shout out from James Kavanagh, this edit by producer SÃomha NÃ Ruairc of man who slipped on ice slipping into a fierce death drop was born unto the Twittersphere. I may or may not have watched it 800 times.
Fáilte romhat x pic.twitter.com/CgPG4UwDYm
— SÃomha NÃ Ruairc (@siomhanir) December 9, 2021
3. A miniature painting
Kildare-born painter Paul Broughall has created miniature versions of everyone from Bosco to Kat Slater, but this one of the man who slipped on the ice is a personal fave of mine.
https://twitter.com/PaulieBroughall/status/1469368336899268610?s=20
2. Illustration turned Tattoo
Originally an emotive drawing by designer and illustrator Hephee, this piece now lives forever after being tattooed by fine line extraordinaire Stephen Doyle. A collab for the ages.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUiN5NvsFGn/
1. What Ever Happened to the Man Who Slipped on the Ice? (Comedy Sketch)
One of the OG works of art inspired by our icy friend, this sketch written by Tom Walsh and Kevin McGahern documents life after that fateful RTÉ news report.
Man who slipped on the ice, we don’t know who you are, and at this stage we probably never will. All we can really do is thank you for your services to comedy and culture, and hope that one day you emerge from the shadows to claim your crown as a national treasure.
I’ll still never get over the fact that RTE slippy ice man has never been found or come forward. If that was me I’d have a merch line – the works.
— James Kavanagh (@JamesKavanagh_) December 11, 2021
Header image via Twitter/Aine MackenÂ
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