Call to temporarily relocate prominent Cork roadside sculpture

CONCERNS have been raised about a prominent roadside sculpture along the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy road being put into storage.

Tree and hedgerow removal works have taken place around the ‘Man with Birds’ sculpture along the Carr’s Hill stretch of the N28, which runs from the South Ring Road out to Ringaskiddy, to make way for the new M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy scheme.

As part of the works for the new M28 scheme, the sculpture by the Mount Oval slip road is set to be removed and put into storage.

In response to a query submitted by Labour Party election candidate for Cork City South East Peter Horgan on what will happen to the sculpture, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said Cork County Council has advised that the statue and plaque will be removed from the location and placed in storage for the duration of the construction works.

Forgotten

TII also said the sculpture will be reinstated on completion of the M28 scheme in an appropriate location similar to its existing position.

Mr Horgan disagreed with the decision to put it into storage and instead suggested that it could be installed elsewhere temporarily.

“I don’t see why the statue needs to be moved and I certainly don’t see why it needs to be put into storage,” he said.

“What you have is a track record of statues in local authorities going into storage for years and getting half forgotten about.

“It is a statue of note in the area and people do like to see it. So what I would like to see is rather than it going into storage and taking up space and costs involved, that it be moved, even temporarily, to somewhere such as the roundabout at the top of Maryborough Hill.

“That might force the council to maintain the roundabouts up there too and plant the roundabouts as they do in other parts of the city and make the public amenities look nice. Especially since most of the cars are being routed up and down Maryborough Hill for the continuation of these road works. There’s going to be a lot more traffic on the hill because of these works.

“That’s something that might seem small and insignificant to a lot of people, but for people living in the area it is a brightening up of the place and making it better to live.”

Residents

In 1995, sculptor Annette Hennessy was commissioned by Cork County Council with funding from the Per Cent for Art scheme to produce the sculpture, which was named ‘Man with Birds’.

Residents of Rowan Hill in Mount Oval Village previously highlighted the importance of the sculpture’s relationship with Mount Oval and that it not just be maintained, but given a more prominent position so that future generations can continue to learn from its message of the need to nurture our natural environment.

Cork County Council has been contacted by The Echo for comment.