A Du leek made work of art!
GRANGE LIMESTONE USED AS PART OF NEW SCULPTURE TO MARK THE 2016 SUCCESS OF SKERRIES IN TIDY TOWNS
A spectacular monument which will be visible from both land and sea has been been unveiled in Skerries to mark the town’s victory in the National Tidy Towns competition back in 2016.
The impressive new structure at Red Island stands at 4.3 metres tall with four swipe-like prongs extending from the central base, each with a pattern representing four separate themes; water, plant life, heritage and the built environment. The piece also features 12 lights making it visible from the sea as well as to those passing by on the beachfront.
The sculpture is made from marine grade stainless streel which is designed to be hardwaring and withstand the wear from its close proximity to the sea.
The brainchid of sculptor and Skerries resident Shane Holland from Shane Holland Design, the sculpture is based on the National Tidy Towns Trophy which he also designed ten years ago in a competitive design competition.
Walkers will be able so take a break and sit on the plinth made of Grange Limestone quarried just beside Newgrange in Donore.
The plinth is surrounded by five metres of concentric limestone cobbles expertly laid by Anthony Kelly from Rush.
The monument was commissioned by Skerries Tidy Towns who approached Shane to design a suitable piece to acknowledge the ongoing work and particularly the National Win of Skerries as Ireland’s Tidiest Town in 2016.
‘ The Tidy Towns Committee approached me and asked me to get involved as I live in the town and designed the original trophy,’ explained Shane. ‘I was honoured to be asked and while it has been a long project I think it is a fitting tribute to the fantastic work done by the Tidy Towns group over many years.’
He went on to praise the dedication and community spirit of all the volunteers who have worked with the Tidy Towns committee over the years and done so much for Skerries.
The structure in it’s entirity weights approximately five tonnes, including five metres of cobblestone surrounding it.
‘ There have been a team of local men working on it and a huge amount of craftmanship has gone into the project,’ said Shane. ‘ The stone is local grange stone from Newgrange which was supplied by James Gogarty and there is that connection between Skerries and limestone because of the Milverton Quarry. It was stone from that quarry that was used to build the Viaduct so it’s fitting that stone from Newgrange has been used in this piece.’
The project was co- funded by Fingal County Council and is located on their land between the car park and playground just six metres from the seafront.
The location means installation was challenging at times with the site works almost blown into the sea during Storm Ophelia. However, the piece is now in situ and it is hoped it will honour the work done by the Tidy Towns from many decades to come. Shane has been involved in previous Skerries projects including the popular Pole Sea Memorial and works at the Community Centre and Skerries Harps GAA.
This commission has involved over 13 entities and local businesses from Fingal, Meath, Limerick and Dublin and is a permanent marine grade structure which is set to become a landmark for the popular seaside town into the future.
Shane runs his workshop in Duleek Business Park near Drogheda and has run his awardwinning design studio and workshop there for the past 11 years previously based in Dublin 1, his works have been exported globally and are sought after by collectors of lighting furniture and sculptural works.
Shane also designs many high profile trophies for national events, including the RTE Sports Star Awards.