Cork road's 'Man with Birds' sculpture gone to a safe space as M28 works underway

One of Cork’s most iconic roadside sculptures has been relocated to “a safe spot” to facilitate works as part of the ongoing €456m project on the M28 motorway.

The ‘Man with Birds’ statue, located along the N28 stretch of Carr’s Hill, was removed last Tuesday by a specialist crew and was transported to a temporary, undisclosed location.

The sculpture has become a beloved landmark for many residents in the Carrigaline and Mount Oval areas, having been located near the Mount Oval slip for several years.

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

While commuters have noticed the statue’s absence in the days following its removal, a spokesperson for BAM, which is undertaking the M28 project, told The Echo that the sculpture is “enjoying a bit of peace and quiet” at its new location.

“Ahead of the widening of the earthworks outline in the Carr’s Hill area, ‘Man with Birds’ was carefully relocated to a safe spot on Tuesday morning,” the spokesperson said.

“He is settling in nicely, enjoying a bit of peace and quiet, and hasn’t raised any complaints about his temporary change of scenery just yet.

“Prior to removal, we reached out to the original sculptor, Annette Hennessey, on how to safely remove the ‘Man with Birds’ from his base and transport him safely to his new temporary home.

“Once the road construction works are complete, he’ll be heading back to a location close to his original home.” 

Ms Hennessey said she is “delighted” that the bronze 8ft sculpture has become a beloved component in people’s lives more than 30 years after its creation.

“My thinking for the piece began during another project in 1993, about how development is interfering with the environment,” said Ms Hennessey.

“It symbolises our need to nurture nature – he was putting birds back up into trees, native trees that were there at the time.

“There’s life in bronze, you could have it for centuries, so he has stood the test of time.

“I didn’t realise that he was popular, I’m surprised but I’m delighted really,” she added.

“I think people got fond of him after a while. It was well worth the money considering they’ve gotten more than 30 years out of him for around £20,000.

“I do think he is going to go back to that, or a similar area.

“It would be important to me that planting is done in relation to the site because he was putting birds back into trees, not just holding them up into the air.”