A new project for twenty bollards for the inner city walls of Derry, reflecting the walls, the river and the county’s literary heritage. 

Ballymakenny College Per Cent for Art Commission

Context

The region around Drogheda has cultural significance throughout all prehistoric and historic periods from the Neolithic to Medieval times and to the present day - a cultural continuity that is fairly unique on the island of Ireland and stretches from mythology to archaeology, early literature and architecture.

The Neolithic (4,000-2,500BCE)
First human habitation in Ireland possibly dates to 10,500BCE - a 70,000 years led worked flint tool from Mell near Drogheda was probably moved-in by Ice Age glaciers. The Neolithic Brú na Bóinne complex with the passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth dating to around 3,400BCE is one of Ireland’s most iconic and archaeologically significant structures and has subsequently gained UNESCO World Heritage Status. While the three tombs are the most prominent and best preserved structures, they form an integral part of a much wider complex of buildings, as recent aerial surveys have unearthed.

The Copper and Bronze Ages (2,500-500BCE)
A similar circular megalithic structure, possibly forming part of the same larger complex, would have topped what is now known as Millmount and was later replaced by a Norman fortification. The name of the hill references local mythology and folklore that associates this topographic feature with the burial site of the Milesian bard and lawmaker Amergin. The 9th century Lebor Gabála Eireann describes the Milesians setting out from Galicia in Northern Spain with thirty boats after Íth spotted Ireland on the horizon from a tower. The daring voyage leads them to Inber Scéine, Ballinskelligs Bay in Kerry, where the poet Amergin claimed Ireland with a poem. They settle on the island of Ireland after defeating the supernatural Tuatha Dé Danann, the tribe of the goddess Danu, in battle, banishing them to the sidhe and the underworld. While set in the late Bronze Age, the events are considered an early Christian pseudohistory to anchor Irish genealogy within a biblical context. The legend, however is significant as it contains what is regarded as the first poem in the Irish language: Rosc Aimherghin or the Song of Amergin. After Amergin is killed by his brother Érimón, he is buried on Millmount, according to legend, around 1,700 BCE, in the mid Bronze Age.

The Iron Age (500BCE-400CE)
The Ulster Cycle or An Rúraíocht, however, is the literary source that is most closely associated with the East Ulster region. Set in around the 1st century CE, in the later Iron Age, the collection of stories and legends contains amongst others the legendary text of the Cattle Raid of Cooley or Táin Bó Cúailnge. With cattle being the most significant source of wealth at the time, it describes the adventures of the Connacht cattle raiding party of Queen Medb to Ulster in an attempt to capture the legendary bull Donn Cúailnge who subsequently stampedes through the area with his herd of fifty heifers.

The Medieval Period (after 400CE)
This fertile North Leinster and East Ulster region also provided the hinterland for the development of Drogheda as one of Ireland’s oldest towns in the 12th Century. Founded as a walled-town by the Norman Hugh de Lacy as a strategically significant town within the Pale, it was protected by the motte and bailey fortifications mentioned above. The protective ring of town walls and gates was closed by the River Boyne on its southern flank which contained the development of the flourishing medieval town.

This rich heritage of Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Medieval culture forms the contextual basis for the concept for this proposed sculpture project for Ballymakenny College, referencing both visual and literary sources relevant to the area.

Rationale

The commission will focus on the interconnection of mythology and the natural and cultural landscapes in the proximity of Ballymakenny College, Drogheda. Early medieval myths like the Ulster Cycle closely entwined land, people and events in their narratives. The design references this context and combines it with a sculptural structure that combines abstract geometric form and small figurative expressions with backlit text elements. A semi-abstract approach to the commission, rather than a literal interpretation of the context, makes the work inspiring, innovative and invites investigation and interaction by students and staff.

Concept

The proposed work consist of a three-piece sculpture, each individual element responding to a particular pre-historic period, with a backlit text of the Song of Amergin. Three rectangular forms mirror the striking and visually-dominant architectural structures of the concrete supports of the central stair case behind. Three different materials reflect three prehistoric ages: stone, bronze and iron. These rigid shapes are juxtaposed by circular cut-outs that visually open the shapes to and combine them with the surrounding architectural space. The deep rim of the cut-out circles provides a ‘window into the past’, a theatrical stage that contains figurative elements of cattle, sheep and fish in relation to the theme of each of the three forms. These elements were modelled by students and staff in January 2020 and are being cast in bronze and attached to the forms.

1. Neolithic Period: limestone with a cut-out circle at the edge of the cubic form represents the megalithic structures of the Brú na Bóinne, supporting a flock of sheep which were first domesticated around 6,000 years ago.

2. Bronze Age: a circle containing a shoal of fish related to the Song of Amergin and Amergin’s Plentiful the Ocean - the mythological poet Amergin being interred in Millmount according to legend.

3. Iron Age: Cor-ten® weathering steel with a circle containing a herd of cattle in response to the Iron Age epic Táin Bó Cuailnge, which is set in the region.

Repoussé discs in each piece are informed by the first set of Irish coins, designed by the English sculptor Percy Metcalfe for the young Irish Free State in 1932 to the theme of agriculture and natural diversity - again a relevant subject in the age of climate change! One of these circles will be in memory of Lynn Browne.

Fabricators and Contractors

Feelystone Ltd., Boyle, Co. Roscommon; Aquadesign Ltd., Killorglin, Co. Kerry

Context
Commission to replace an older fountain head in the Edwardian Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin which was removed in the 1970s. The original was a generic and not site-specific design from the 1940s, so the decision was taken to replace it with a semi-abstract design that has significance for the square which was the home to numerous writers, painters and scientists.

Céimeanna na Saíochta (The Steps of Wisdom)*
Steps of Wisdom celebrates residents with cultural relevance (Mainie Jellett, Jack B. years, Wm Dargan, 1st director of the National Gallery), signified through sheets of paper that transform into a water cascade. The letters give the impression of a manuscript blowing in a gust of wind. Three quills/feathers reinforce the structure. The 1m high sculpture is assembled from sixteen individual Foolscap Folio-sized (8”x13”) sheets of bronze, which was the common letter format in 19th C. Ireland. The lower ten sheets work as a cascade that conceals an internal feeder tank. The individual sheets are fabricated from sheets (200x330mm) of cold-forged 2mm bronze, welded to an internal tubular stainless steel frame. The upper sheets near the quills form a bird bath.

• title by poet Paddy Bushe

Cruinne (circularity, universe)

According to legend, Ireland was conquered by multiple ‘invasions’ in pre-history, the latest being the conquest by the Goidels or Milesians from Northern Spain, a Gaelic tribe credited with introducing the Irish language. These fictional conquests were first compiled in the 11^th/12^th C. Lebor Gabála ÉrennBook of Invasions of Ireland) - the prime source for many later interpretations. However, the Milesian invasion is regarded as medieval pseudo-history by modern scholars - myth, rather than fact - in order to legitimise Irish genealogy within a biblical context. The series of events in which the Milesians take Ireland eventually culminates in the ‘Battle of Geashill’ between two brothers, Éremón and Éber.

The sculptures take inspiration from mythology, the legendary battle and its fictional dating in the Bronze Age. Five galláin, Irish for standing stones, commemorate some of the protagonists in the legend: Amergin, Éber and Éremón, sons of Míl as well as the Éremon’s wife Tea. The fifth gallán is dedicated to Geashill itself, a place rich in heritage, history and mythology. Inserted into the stone are low-relief plaques inspired by circular Bronze Age objects: shields, sky and sun disks and a lunula. Each object interprets the personas, attributes and topographical features associated with the individual. To reflect the subject matter, the metal is shaped by the ancient repoussé process, a process of alternating annealing/softening and beating the metal into shape. The ‘hoard’ references folklore accounts of local archaeology and consists of objects modelled by the local community, cast using Bronze Age methods.

The artwork was commissioned by Offaly County Council & funded by the Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022

Fabrication: Feelystone Ltd., Roscommon

A 32” high Cor-Ten steel bell with bronze lettering and internal wind chimes for Mount Leinster near Myshall. The bell commemorates the alleged birthplace of Columbanus and is based on early medieval iron handbells. The 7th C. Display Script was designed by calligrapher Tim O’Neill while the reference for the cross stems from Clonmacnoise. Bell and postcards will complement the Via Columbani pilgrim’s path from Mount Leinster to Bangor.

Context

The rich archaeology of South Aberdeenshire with its standing stones, enclosures and ring forts such as Barmekin and the Hill of Kir is evidence for a long history of farming in the region. The 50 years development of the town of Westhill, however, has replaced and obscured historic farmsteads along the old Skene Road, including Brodiach, Broadstraik and Leddach farms, Mains Cottage, Crombie Croft and Westhill House and with it, its long farming heritage. The notable distance to the sea with its offshore and oil industries have instead become the driving force behind fifty years of development of the town. Other references include milestones along the Skene Road and the presence of 18th and 19th C. sundials - the path is aligned East-West to coincide with the sunrise at the winter solstice.

Concept

This two-piece sculpture makes the hidden history of Westhill visible by referencing farms on old OS maps of the early 20th C. A series of elongated, contemporary and abstract bronze sculptures are loosely based on drawings of former farmsteads along the Old Skene Road. Tactile sea and wave texture evolves into buildings and, together with stainless steel bases, are a reference the relevance of oil and maritime industry in the development of Westhill since 1968. The anthropomorphic proportions of the elongated, upright markers resemble standing stones and tree trunks, while the variation in height indicates growth. Five sculptural markers are placed on a circular mound, orientated East-West - a reference to the name Westhill and prehistoric enclosures. In-ground solar LED spots light the piece at night.

Two-part composition of textured bronze elements on 200-400mm high stainless steel bases approx. 2,400mm to 900mm high; 1500x500mm footprint, mounted on a 6m diameter circular mound alongside the path.

Story and History. According to legend, the Milesians, set out from Galicia in Northern Spain with thirty boats after Íth spotted Ireland on the horizon from a tower. The daring voyage leads them to Inber Scéine, Ballinskelligs Bay, where the poet Amergin claimed Ireland with the first poem in the Gaelic language. They settled on the island of Ireland after defeating the supernatural Tuatha Dé Danann, the tribe of the Goddess Danu, in battle, banishing them to the underworld. While set in the late Bronze Age, the events are considered an early Christian pseudohistory to anchor Irish genealogy within a biblical context. However, local toponymy adopted many of the legendary protagonists and associated them with prehistoric sites and landmarks, including Inber Scéne, the Eightercua Alignment, Tech Duinn (or Bull Rock), Lough Currane (Irish Loch Luigdech) and Carraig Éanna.

Metaphor and Metamorphosis. The sculpture Árthach Dána (Irish for daring or artful vessel) celebrates the cultural and maritime heritage of Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula and marks Waterville’s central place in Irish mythology. Like the 11th century poem The Song of Amergin in the Leabhar Gabhála Éireann (Book of Invasions) that inspired it, the sculpture is bold, yet artfully embodies the coastal environment of Ireland’s Celtic seaboard. Its complex form responds to the ancient text (displayed in the wall, interpretation by Paddy Bushe below), the myth of the Milesian invasion and sun-barge symbolism in European prehistory. Yet, the semi-abstract sundial sculpture is also a monument to all prehistoric seafarers and traders that explored Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard long before the advent of nautical instruments and charting. Wave patterns, the passage of the sun, sea birds and the star constellation of Pleiades or Seven Sisters are all remnants of these age-old skills of seamanship, pilotage and celestial navigation. 

As the prow of a ship emerges from the ground like a beached vessel from the depth of history, its planking transforms into nine breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the legendary Great Waves of Erin. Its elongated stem resembles the skull and beak of a Northern Gannet that becomes the gnomon of a large sundial - a reference to Little Skellig which is one of the largest gannet colonies in the world! Foremost, however, it is an allegory for the arrival of the Gaelic language on our coast: whether being driven to Europe’s western fringes from an elusive ‘Celtic heartland’ - as it was understood in the 19th/20th centuries - or, more likely, emerging from a pan-European lingua franca. Its stark, aggressive presence is also a metaphor for climate change and the relentless cycles in nature.

Process and Procurement. The sculpture was promoted by Kerry County Council Services Capital Office and installed on St. Brigid’s Day 2019. It was commissioned by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government under the Per Cent for Art Scheme, an Irish government initiative introduced in 1978. Árthach 

Dána marks the completion of the Waterville Water and Wastewater Scheme which was part-funded by the National Development Plan under the Water Services Investment Programme. It was fabricated using the prehistoric repoussé process of repeatedly annealing and hammering metal plate. This skin was then welded to a stainless steel frame, combining modern fabrication techniques with archaic Iron Age metal working. The sculpture is designed for a lifespan of several hundred years, using fully recyclable materials in combination with low-carbon and energy efficient processes and lighting. The Medieval Irish text of the 11th C. The Song of Amergin is laser-cut into a 12m long strip of bronze, set into the wall and lit at night with LED lighting.

Am wind on sea

Am wave swelling

Am ocean’s voice

Am stag of seven clashes

Am falcon on cliff

Am sunlit dewdrop

Am rarest of herbs

Am boar enraged

Am salmon in pool

Am lake in plain

Am learning’s essence

Am sharpened spear dealing death

Am god who kindles fire in the head.

Who makes smooth the stony mountain?

Who elucidates the lives of the moon?

Who proclaims where the sun will rest?

Who leads the stars/waves like cattle from the ocean?

On whom do those stars/waves smile?

What troop, what god edges blades in a plague-struck fortress?

Keening of weapons. Keening of wind.

www.arthachdana.eu

This new public sculpture project links the 1960s Casson Block in St. Georges' Street with the sacral architecture of the nearby medieval Winchester Cathedral and the the long-demolished Saxon church of St. Ruald's which once stood on this site. The work also references the theme of water as it stands adjacent to the Upper Brook which formed part of the Roman drainage scheme of the River Itchen marshes. The artistic concept aims to make visible the hidden architectural heritage of Winchester and to put its more recent, modernist architecture into a new light. Like in many heritage towns, medieval buildings are in the limelight while contemporary additions are often overlooked and underestimated for their contribution to the urban landscape.

The Architect of the Casson Block, Sir Hugh Casson (1910-1999), was an influential and celebrated architect, artist and writer. The sculpture aims to mark his life and work as well as the achievements of Winchester's medieval master masons who remain unknown.

The sculpture Holmweard will be fabricated in repoussé sheet bronze (an ancient metal working technique rarely used today) and stainless steel and will be installed in spring 2018 to complete the public realm work on the Casson Block. The Anglo-Saxon word Holmweard translates as a warden by the sea or on a guard on an island in a river.

Memorial plaque for John Golden

John Golden was involved in the failed Fenian rising of 1867 in Kells, Co. Kerry and was subsequently deported to Australia. The plaque was unveiled at the 2017 Walk of the Ancestors event.

1150x900mm illuminated Cor-ten steel panel with local stone surround. Digitally processed PicturePerf image by Graepel Metal Perforators and Weavers Ltd., Kinsale.

Project: Fluctus Angelorum (Bangor Christian Heritage Feature)

Location: Bangor, Co. Down

Client: Ards and North Down Borough Council

Details: Bronze on granite base, 4.8m high x 2.0m x 1.8m with 6x 1.7m high bell satellite features 

Project Page: www.bangorbell.info and

Reviews & Press: Roaringwater Journal; House + Design

Description: 

The work combines the iconic shape of the 9th century Bangor Bell which was found on the site of the abbey in 1780 with the ever-present sea that has not only helped to spread spiritual beliefs but has also shaped generations of communities of Bangor town. Based on the Bangor Bell, the central sculpture is patinated deep blue and decorated with wave patterns as a metaphor of sound waves, the spread of Christianity and spiritual concepts from Bangor by sea. Six smaller decorated cast bronze bell shapes are modelled on their surfaces with architectural features of places that are intrinsically linked to Bangor through Christianity: St. Gall, Bobbio (original location of the Antiphonary), Columbanus’ foundation of Luxeuil as well as Milano and Bregenz. Placed within relative distance from the central feature over the extend of the site, they form markers on a cognitive/spiritual map, not unlike bell towers in a medieval landscape.

Project Team: Donal Lynch (structural engineer), Donagh Carey and Karen Hendy (fabrication), John Fair and Pat Hughes (sitework)

Memorial to Pat Quinlan who commanded the UN peace keeping mission during the siege of Jadotville in the Congo in 1961. Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny unveiled the bronze memorial plaque with the portrait of Quinlan on 28th October 2017 outside Waterville.

In 1961, the newly established United Nations sent peace keeping troops to the Congo to protect the civilians of the young republic against rebel attacks  launched by the Katangan break-away region and the Belgian uranium mining companies. 150 unexperienced Irish UN soldiers, some as young as 17, held out against 3,000 Katangese militaries under the command of battle-hardened French Legionaires. Equipped only with outdated weapons (a single machine gun, two small mortars, old rifles and plastic UN helmets) and only limited ammunition and provisions, they faced four days of waves of overwhelming attacks, air assaults and shelling. Quinlan sensed trouble ahead and ordered his men to dig trenches, organise Supplies and to prepare ingenious perimeter defence tactics. While casualties on the aggressor side were heavy (as many as 400 dead and 800 wounded), there was not a single casualty amongst Quinlan’s men and only five injured. After four days with no water or ammunition left, Quinlan had no option but to surrender to save the lives of his men and they spent four weeks as POWs before returning to Ireland.

The most shocking part of the tale is the aftermath of the siege. While abandoned and un-supported by the still unexperienced UN command and its envoy Connor Cruise O’Brien during the siege, they were treated as cowards for the rest of their careers by their colleagues in the Irish Defence Forces and by Irish and UN politicians. For political reasons this incredible event was totally ignored and all recommendations for medals denied until it was highlighted by Declan Power’s book and Richie Smyth’s authentic 2016 Netflix movie with Jamie Dornan The Siege of Jadotville (highly recommended!) as well as the relentless campaigning for recognition by Pat’s son Leo. The bronze low-relief portrait of Pat Quinlan who died in 1997, set in Valentia slate, now stands at the Com an Chiste viewing point between Waterville and Caherdaniel. On 2nd December 2017 the veterans of the siege eventually received their medals after fifty six years of being ignored by politicians and colleagues.

Project: Convergence

Location: Benburb, Co. Tyrone

Client: Benburb Community Association and Servite Priory

Details: Bronze on stainless steel, 4.0m high x 2.5m x 2.1m

Project Page: Facebook blog or www.convergencebenburb.info

Description:

Convergence is a community-initiated public sculpture project for Benburb, Co. Tyrone, funded by the BPttA programme of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The 4m high bronze sculpture is inspired by the archaeology and industrial heritage of the historic river Blackwater which marks the border of the counties Armagh and Tyrone. It describes a dramatic gateway over the newly created footpath, framing the spectacular view into the deep ravine and cliff face formed by the torrent river. The two-piece sculpture references rows of water-driven wooden ‘beetles’ used to pound the surface of the woven linen while their frontal faces are marked with the texture of draped linen transforming into the torrent waters of the river. The 18th century Milltown beetling mill operated as late as the 1980s and its sound and working environment is still vividly remembered by members of both Benburb and Milltown communities.  The two parts of the sculpture also represent the ‘growing together’ of the two communities in the current peace-building process.

Convergence is fabricated from gilding metal sheet, formed by repoussé and TIG-welded over a complex framework of stainless steel into a cantilevered structure. The deep blue patina references the water while the crests of the torrents are finished with gold leaf. It is illuminated at night using a single Collingwood® LED uplighter. Members of the local community contributed a series of fourteen bronze path markers which were modelled in wax in two workshop sessions. The wax plaques were then cast on-site in the grounds of Benburb Castle, using Bronze Age casting methods: clay/dung moulds and hand-bellows operated charcoal furnaces.

Project Team: Donal Lynch (structural engineer), Nick Kottler (fabrication, welding, installation), Pat Hughes, Sean, Liam (sitework), James Walshe (research), Moss Gaynor (installation), Karen Hendy (workshops, installation), Damian Mullan and Noireen (community)

Project: Confluence

Location: Camlough, Co. Down

Client: Newry & Mourne District Council

Completed: June 2015

Details: Stainless steel plate and mesh, 4.0m high x 1.8m x 1.2m

Description: A series of initial community workshop sessions with local schools and groups identified the natural water cycle as the theme for a sculpture commission in the village of Camlough in Co. Armagh. It shares a collective industrial heritage with the neighbouring village of Bessbrook which centres around a large mill complex that was turned into an army barracks in the 1980s. The Arts Council NI BPttA-funded commission drew its inspiration from clouds, water, Camlough lake and woven fabric. A cloud form - fabricated in 316 stainless steel mesh and then folded and crumpled - is placed within a rectangular stainless mesh container, mounted onto a stainless steel base, giving a total height of 4m. The mesh creates an ephemeral moiré effect, visible to the passing traffic during daytime, while LED lighting creates a spectacular illumination of the cloud at night. A verse of the poem ‘The Ballad of Camlough’ is polished out of the sand-blasted base while repoussé bronze inserts in the upper surface of the base refer to various states of Camlough. 2mm woven stainless steel mesh was chosen as a metaphor for linen fabric, manufactured in a semi-mechanised process by a Cork-based manufacturer. The challenging task of forming the cloud in this sturdy material was accomplished by the artist in collaboration with Cork-based sculptors Don Cronin and Moss Gaynor, who also fabricated the 316 stainless steel base. The community engagement element of the work was delivered together with painter Karen Hendy, creating a large mobile from aluminium mesh and surplus steel rod with pupils of a local secondary school.

Project: Conor's Corner

Location: Shankill Road, Belfast

Client: WBACS

Completed: June 2015

Details: Cast and repoussé bronze, Cor-Ten steel with PicturePerf, 1.90m x 0.5m x 1.5m

Project Page: Facebook Blog

Description: This public sculpture commission for Conor’s Corner of Shankill Road/Northumberland Road celebrates the personality and marks the work of the celebrated Belfast painter William Conor (1881-1968). The over-lifesize bronze figure and Corten steel light panels help to promote dialogue and understanding about the culture of the area as well as creating a focal point for the local community and visitors alike. The scale and the combination of a traditional figurative sculpture element with contemporary technology, materials and lighting creates an iconic urban landmark for the North Belfast area as a whole.

The artwork and design has been substantially modified and some of the work has been removed in September 2015 by the commissioners without the consent of the Artist and the current state of Conor's Corner does not resemble the concept and design intended by the Artist.

The changes are an infringement of the Artist’s Right of Integrity of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 and the Artist cannot be held responsible for the infringement of copyrights of third parties as result of the unauthorised modification of the artwork.

Project Team: Robert Morrow (architect), Donal Lynch (structural engineer), Moss Gaynor (installation), Pat Hughes (installation), James Walshe (installation), Karen Hendy (workshops), Alan Milligan (workshops), Thomas (control box artwork - now destroyed), Rory and Aidan Cregan & Ken Magner (casting), Graepel Metal Perforators and Weavers Ltd. (PicturePerf imaging)

Project: Scamall

Location: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014

Award: Gold Medal

Client: Hugo Bugg Landscapes and Royal Bank of Canada

Completed: May 2014

Details: Repoussé bronze, 3.2m high x  1.5m x 0.5m

Project Page and Press: www.mylesaftermyles.info, articles in The English Garden and Southern Star

Description: Commissioned as a centrepiece for Hugo Bugg's stormwater garden sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014, this water feature represents an abstracted storm cloud. The garden won the Golf Medal.

Project Partners: Hugo Bugg Landscapes, Exeter; Graepel Metal Perforators and Weavers Ltd., Kinsale; Bamber Wallis Waterfeatures, Farnham

Project: Foyle Boats

Location: Derry

Client: The Holywell Trust

Completed: February 2014

Details: Repoussé bronze, 1.9m high x 0.4m

Project Page: www.foyleboats.info

Description: Three indoor sculptures based on the traditional Foyle Punt. Boats and waves represent both the cultural and natural environment of the Foyle and in the work one transforms into the other - a reference to the Holywell Trust's ethos of transformation.

Project: Myles after Myles

Location: Strabane, Co. Derry

Client: Strabane District Council

Completed: November 2013

Details: Cast and repoussé bronze with PicturePerf, 3.2m high x 1.9m x 1.5m

Project Page: www.mylesaftermyles.info and local press

Recognition: Nominated for UK-wide PMSA Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture, 2015

Context: This public artwork celebrates the life and work of writer and satirist Brian O’Nolan aka Flann O’Brien and Myles na gCopaleen in his hometown Strabane, Co. Tyrone. Based on the iconic photograph of O’Nolan in his iconic coat and Fedora hat, the figure is leaning against three first editions of his most popular books: An Béal Bocht, At Swim-Two-Birds and The Dalkey Archive. The title of the work is a play on O'Nolan's compendium of An Cruiskeen Lawn articles published under the title Myles before Myles.

Description: An over-lifesize (2.0m high) sculpture of Brian O’Nolan in cast and repoussé bronze leaning against three 3m high first editions of his most famous books, fabricated in 2mm sheet bronze. The granite base and perforated image process used in the work is a visual reference to the architectural features of the library’s base and its page-like windowblinds. The partial fabrication of the work in sheet metal also responds to their construction. The perforated book covers are lit at night with LED lighting, creating spectacular effects.

Process: The figure was partially cast in bronze in the artist’s studio foundry in West Cork, using the lost-wax process in combination with Bronze Age moulding techniques. Clothing and hat were worked separately in repoussé sheet bronze and then combined with the cast elements while the books were fabricated using gilding metal sheet after being CNC processed and punched with halftone text and an image by Sean O’Sullivan RHA of the first edition of An Béal Bocht. The work is internally lit using LED lighting and diffuser sheets.

Project Team: Donal Lynch (structural engineer), Nick Kottler (fabrication, welding, installation), Pat Hughes (site supervision), Moss Gaynor (finishing), Alan Milligan (installation assistance), Graepel Metal Perforators and Weavers Ltd. (PicturePerf imaging)

Project: The Waters of the River Bush

Location: Bushmills, Co. Antrim

Client: Moyle District Council

Completed: February 2013

Details: Repoussé bronze, 35m high x 1.5m x 1.5m

Project Page: www.riverbush.info

Description: The fountain celebrates the rich natural and cultural heritage of the River Bush and the town of Bushmills. It takes as its inspiration a waterfall with jumping salmon - a reference to the Salmon Leap and Walkmills Falls close to the site. The overall shape and the hexagonal low-relief bronze plaques in the base section are a reminder of the presence of the nearby Giant's Causeway. These plaques contain imagery that reference the use of the Bush River's water for a variety of historic and present-day uses including grain milling, hydro-energy, the spade mill and whisky distillation.

Project Team: Donal Lynch (structural engineer), Nick Kottler (fabrication), Pat Hughes (sitework, installation), Dubhlteach Coleman (fabrication assistance)

Project: Bell of the North

Location: Coleraine, Co. Derry

Client: Coleraine District Council

Completed: November 2012

Details: Cast bronze and laminated timber, 2.2m high x 0.3m x 0.3m

Description: A commemorative indoor sculpture piece for the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. Based on medieval Irish handbells, the centrepiece is decorated with waves to reflect the nearby sea.

Project: To the People of the Sea

Location: Portrush East Strand, Co. Antrim

Award: Nominated for the Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture 2012 (review)

Client: Coleraine Borough Council

Completed: February 2011

Details: Bronze on stainless steel, 4.2m high x 5.8m x 1.5m

Project Page: www.peopleofthesea.info

Concept: The concept for To the People of the Sea reflects Portrush's rich maritime culture and the boat building history of the East Strand site. It celebrates not only one of Ireland’s finest boat builders, James Kelly, but also the elements that have determined the daily life of the local community for generations: boats and the sea. The iconic Drontheim yawl serves as a metaphorical vessel for sea-related imagery for this work: sails and ocean waves. To the People of the Sea takes its inspiration from both sails and the sea alike: the iconic Drontheim’s sails become a metaphor for the surface of the sea; the flapping sails metamorph into crests of breaking waves as the bellowing sail canvas is turned into sheets of glistening bronze. The sculpture is a metaphorical vessel for sea-related imagery that offers many angles of interpretation: It suggests a sea creature emerging out of the depth of Irish mythology and awakes associations with prehistoric megaliths brought to this coast by early seafarers. Its vertical surface of an angry ocean is a reminder of legendary voyages that passed through the historic waters of Moyle while the deep blue colour gives a glimpse of the depth of the ocean. 

Description: The three separate sail structures are fabricated from two layers of 14 gauge (2mm) sheet bronze with internal stainless steel rib supports, similar to construction methods used in aircraft wings. This approach created a sturdy, voluminous structure with a truly sculptural appearance. Foundation, supports, gaps and the shape of the work are designed to cope with the high dynamic wind loads at this exposed maritime location. Sheet bronze has great cultural significance for this location, evident in many of the Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Mediæval archæology finds in the area such as the Bann Disk or the Broighter Boat. The choice of bronze is also associated with maritime fittings and the copper and bronze sheeting of yacht hulls. A strong visual contrast is achieved by combining a rich ocean-blue patina with the gold-leaf gilded relief elements of the wave crest.

Engagement: Consultation events and a series of school workshops. The project involved collaborative research with members of the community and boating heritage groups to ensure technical and historical accuracy of the sculpture. The local surfing community provided knowledge of local wave conditions.

Project Team: Donal Lynch (structural engineer); James Walshe (fabrication), Joe (welding), Pat Hughes (sitework and fabrication), Alan Milligan (fabrication assistant), Vincent Fitzpatrick, Uniqrete Ltd. (terrazzo work)

Project: Shannon Fleet I

Location: M7 Annaholty Section

Collaborative: Deiseal (Antony Lyons, Niall O'Neill and Holger Lönze)

Client: Limerick County Council

Completed: June 2010

Details: Cor-Ten steel, 6.0m high x 4m x 2m

Project Page: www.deiseal.net

Concept: This collaborative project is a set of striking landmark features, based on iconic imagery - Viking longboats - and referencing the history and legends of Limerick, the Shannon River and Lough Derg. Viewed from the M7 motorway and tunnel stretches, the waterway goes almost unnoticed - the low-lying landscape offers few vistas, and sight-lines are often obscured by roadside embankments. Shannon Fleet helps connect the road users with the river landscape and local heritage. It also marks a very important period in the history of the area and Limerick City. In a much wider sense, the works celebrate the age-old relationship with the sea, as well as the craft and technologies that have been part of boat-building for many centuries in Ireland. The M7 offers the contemporary traveller a convenient approach to and from the Midlands and a thousand years ago, the Shannon river/lake system would have served a similar purpose. Shannon Fleet marks this connection with a set of iconic art-works, designed for high visual impact within the challenging roadside environment. While the basis of the works is founded on historical references, the chosen material palette is deliberately contemporary and complements some of the materials used on the N7/M7 road system, the tunnel and the toll plaza: cast concrete, stainless steel and Corten steel.

Description: This variant of Shannon Fleet consists of groupings of slender Corten steel prows, with an intricately ornamented weathervane. This material offers a rich orange, rust-like surface patina adding colour to the motorway environment. These structures are entirely fabricated from 2mm and 3mm Corten steel, which is a special formulation specifically developed for marine and other extreme environments. Corten is a form of weathering steel which was developed to obviate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance when exposed to the weather.

Project Team: Deiseal: Antony Lyons, Niall O'Neill, Holger Lönze (design and management), Donal Lynch (structural engineer); James Walshe (fabrication)

Project: Shannon Fleet II

Location: N7 Limerick bypass

Collaborative: Deiseal (Antony Lyons, Niall O'Neill and Holger Lönze)

Client: Limerick County Council

Completed: September 2010

Details: Cast white concrete and stainless steel, 6.0m high x 3.0m x 1.8m

Project Page: www.deiseal.net

Concept: This collaborative project is a set of striking landmark features, based on iconic imagery - Viking longboats - and referencing the history and legends of Limerick, the Shannon River and Lough Derg. Viewed from the M7 motorway and tunnel stretches, the waterway goes almost unnoticed - the low-lying landscape offers few vistas, and sight-lines are often obscured by roadside embankments. Shannon Fleet helps connect the road users with the river landscape and local heritage. It also marks a very important period in the history of the area and Limerick City. In a much wider sense, the works celebrate the age-old relationship with the sea, as well as the craft and technologies that have been part of boat-building for many centuries in Ireland. The M7 offers the contemporary traveller a convenient approach to and from the Midlands and a thousand years ago, the Shannon river/lake system would have served a similar purpose. Shannon Fleet marks this connection with a set of iconic art-works, designed for high visual impact within the challenging roadside environment. While the basis of the works is founded on historical references, the chosen material palette is deliberately contemporary and complements some of the materials used on the N7/M7 road system, the tunnel and the toll plaza: cast concrete, stainless steel and Corten steel.

Description: Three 6m high longboat prows are assembled from cast concrete bases and a stainless steel stem and weather vane. The base - a pre-cast hull section in white polished cast concrete - is common to all the pieces. These broadly triangular bases are carefully sculpted to suggest the clinker planking of boats, and are 3m high. The attached stem heads are fabricated individually in marine-grade stainless steel, to give variety in form to the assemblage.

Project Team: Deiseal: Antony Lyons, Niall O'Neill, Holger Lönze (design and management), Donal Lynch (structural engineer); James Walshe (steel fabrication), Vincent Fitzpatrick, Uniqrete Ltd. (concrete work)

Project: Armagh Miniature Street Art

Location: Armagh City

Client: Armagh District Council

Completed: May 2010

Details: Cast bronze, 22 pieces of varying sizes from 0.2m to 0.5m

Project Page: www.gargoylesandangels.info

Project Brochure: PDF download

Description: As you walk around the streets of Armagh City, you may have the eerie feeling that you are being watched... Twenty-two tiny sets of still, glinting eyes will be silently following your every move. From nooks and crannies, behind windows and boot scrapers, fantastical, humorous and grotesque creatures are living their lives, often as a parody of our own strange human ways. And they are there for you to discover and delight in. These small and intricate bronze sculptures of gargoyles, chimeras and angels have been created in response to both the City’s existing sacral architecture and the jetsam of everyday life. 

Project Team: James Walshe (installation), Dubhlteach Coleman (fabrication assistance), Sally Jones (PR material), Cathie McKimm, CMS (project coordinator)

Environmental Impact Analysis of the project

Project: Lough Gur Markers

Location: Lough Gur, Co. Limerick

Collaborative: Deiseal (Antony Lyons, Niall O'Neill and Holger Lönze)

Client: Limerick County Council

Completed: june 2009

Details:  Cor-Ten steel and cast bronze,1.5m high x 0.5m 

Project Page: www.deiseal.net

Description: The artist's collaborative Deiseal provided five path markers for the important archaeological site of Lough Gur. The work references local archaeological finds, field patterns and local literature.

Project Team: Deiseal: Antony Lyons, Niall O'Neill, Holger Lönze (design, fabrication and management)

Project: Path Markers

Location: Oxford Island National Nature Reserve, Lurgan, Co. Armagh

Client: Craigavon Borough Council

Completed: June 2009

Details: Cast bronze and oak, 1.8m high 

Project Value: n/a

Description:  A series of forty cast bronze path markers for the walks on Oxford Island National Nature Reserve.

Project: Buile Shuine

Location: Oxford Island National Nature Reserve, Lurgan, Co. Armagh

Client: Craigavon Borough Council

Completed: September 2008

Details: Cast bronze, 1.3m high 

Project Value: n/a

Description: 

These sculptures are inspired by the adventures of Sweeney, cursed to haunt the world as a mad, yet poetic bird. The work is based on the 12th century Buile Suibhne or the Frenzy of Sweeney. It describes the adventures of Sweeney after being cursed by Ronan after the Battle of Moira (9th century) to haunt the world as a mad, yet poetic bird. The original Irish text, reconstructed by O'Keeffe, together with Seamus Heaney translation Sweeney Astray were used in the research for this work. The two larger sculptures were commissioned by Craigavon Borough Council and is now sited at Oxford Island National Nature Reserve.

Project: The Navigators

Location: Maghery, Co. Armagh

Client: South Lough Neagh Regeneration Association

Completed: May 2008

Details: Cast bronze, 3.0m high x 1.9m x 1.5m

Project Page: www.artinthewetlands.com

Concept: The sculpture is a monument to countless generations of fishermen that made their livelihood from fishing off the shores of Maghery since Neolithic times. The sculpture references both landmark navigation on Lough Neagh and the unique type of oar used on the traditional Lough Neagh fishing boats. The work emphasises important aspects of maritime history and maritime archaeology that are now obscured and replaced by modern fibreglass vessels. The Navigators not only commemorate and celebrate local seafaring traditions but make knowledge of navigation on Lough Neagh visible to a wider public.

Description: Two over life-size figures hold four 15’ high iroka oars, each of which pointing in one direction of the compass rose. The interlocking cast-bronze figures rest on a rendered concrete base. With its predominantly linear nature the piece extends into the surrounding space, defining it with the arrangement of oars, legs and arms of the figures. From a fairly enclosed space at the bottom, it opens up towards the sky. The gaze of one figure skywards and the other’s towards the horizon further emphasises the subject of celestial and coastwise navigation. The bodies of the two figures intersect in part, creating sculptural unity as well as contributing to more complex forms and measures in the work.

Project: Ballyhaise Village Sign

Location: Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan

Client: Cavan County Council

Completed: May 2007

Details: carved oak, charred and gilded, 2.2m x 1.0m

Description: A low-relief village sign in carved oak for the village of Ballyhaise, drawing attention to a local rookery.

Project: Wings

Location: Kinnego Marina, Lurgan, Co. Armagh

Client: South Lough Neagh Regeneration Association

Completed: June 2006

Details: Powder coated and painted steel, 3.0m high x 3.2m x 1.8m

Description: Wings was the pilot project for the Art in the Wetlands project to place sculptures along the Route 94 of the National Cycle Network. Based on the traditional spritsails of the Lough Neagh fishing boats and situated on the outer breakwater, it serves as a navigational marker for Kinnego Marina.

Project: Parkway Pavilion

Location: Comber, Co. Down

Client: Newtownards District Council

Artist's/Architect's Collaborative: SkulptArk (Tara McAuley, Paolo Luccatini, Arezzo; Federico Curletto, Florence; Holger Lönze)

Date: June - September 2001

Details: temporary architecture installation; disused building, turf sods, pallets, carrier bags, fruit boxes, 12m x 4m x 3m

Project Value: n/a

Project Page: SkulptArk

Description: The concept is based on the aspect of change of the building and the surrounding area: its use as changing rooms, the changing history of the site, change of materials, etc. Change is reflected in the surface materials used on the building and the ground area: grass turf carpet for the football grounds, wood and pallets for the joinery workshop, fruit boxes for the market house and plastic sheeting and bags for the dump. These materials cover all external surfaces, incl. roof, windows and doors to emphasise the volume of the building and the sculptural-architectural character of the project.