Breda wins commission
Louth artist Breda Marron has been commissioned to make a new sculpture for the Ballyfermot People’s Park in Dublin/
The commission came about as part of the Dublin City Council initiative Dublin Sculpture which was launched in July by Lord Mayor Hazel Chu.
The sculpture will be one of six to be created for communities around Dublin city before the end of 2021.
The Ballyfermot People’s Park is located on Ballyfermot Road Lower and has existed as a green space since the surrounding houses were built in 1955. Plans are in place for Dublin City Council Parks and Landscape Services to create a ‘People’s Park’ adjoining the Civic Centre for people of all ages and abilities as a community hub for events, activities, informal recreation, rest and relaxation.
Breda, who is based in Drogheda, is an award-winning artist, who has been commissioned to do many public and private commissions in Ireland. Her most recent sculpture commission, ‘Heart Space’ was created for the St Nicholas Quarter, here in Dundalk, as part of the EU funded Town Rejuvenation Project. Other public commissions include Colaiste Ris, Dundalk, Slieve Gullion Forest Park, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and a series of sculpture commissions for schools.
‘I am honoured to have been chosen to create a sculpture for the new People’s Park in Ballyfermot and am looking forward to collaborating with the local community and Suzanne O’Connell in DCC Parks,’ said Breda.
‘Now, more than ever, our parks and public spaces play a vital role in maintaining our sense of wellbeing – they are places where we can connect with nature and each other, places where we can build solidarity and resilience in our communities.
She explained that she will ‘make a sculpture for Ballyfermot People’s Park that is informed by the stories, histories and desires of the local people. Through a collaborative process of listening, making and learning through experimentation, I will create an artwork that aims to capture the spirit of the place in a powerful symbolic gesture.’