Work starts on €50k sculpture on roundabout

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INSTALLATION has begun for a €50,000 steel sculpture on a roundabout on the Tallaght Bypass, reports Ellen Gough.

The installation of the new sculpture, constructed from painted steel, on the Glenview Roundabout on the N81 began on Monday morning, October 6, along with the necessary civils works.

“This project is part of the N81 landscape scheme, approved by the Council under Part 8 of the Planning and Development Act,” South Dublin County Council said.

The sculpture, designed by Liam O’Callaghan, is an “artwork in coloured steel that references the spire of St Maelruain’s Church in Tallaght, the buildings and housing that have grown up around it in the wider area of Tallaght and the diversity of the communities in the area,” they said, and will be brought to life by Clonmel Enterprises Ltd.

An artist’s impression of the sculpture posted on the council’s social media has drawn mixed reactions.

“Looks like a monkey bars in a playground,” one person noted, with others expressing concerns about children trying to cross the busy N81 to climb it.

“It would be great if SDCC did have some future sculptures and the submissions were voted on by residents of Tallaght,” another person commented.

“No offence meant against the designer of this sculpture, I do wonder if there was a brief to be met or who actually picked this sculpture as the ‘winner’,” they continued.

“This piece wouldn’t stick in my mind and rather reminds me of the ‘UFOs’ on the N7… you look at them and say ‘hmmm’ but they don’t stand out in my mind like WOW, that’s amazing.”

At the time of the sculpture being commissioned, the council gave an “estimated timeline of seven months for production and installation”, though no indication has been given yet for how long the actual installation will take.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme