Dramatic shanty singing seafarer sculpture makes its way to Cobh
Piece, Cobh The To Which Shanty Sea Own Donated Garry By People Castle His Being Sculptor Belvelly Who Lonsdale Ray Anne Of Is And With Wilson,
The couple who "brought the world to Cork" last year, are gifting a dramatic sea shanty singing seafarer sculpture to their adopted harbour town.
The can reveal the striking 12ft high steel sculpture of a sailor singing The Holy Ground, a song sometimes referred to as the Cobh Sea Shanty, which is on its way to the Cork harbour town thanks to the generosity of Garry and Anne Wilson.
They are the couple who bought and restored Belvelly Castle, and who brought the remarkable Gaia installation to the town's landmark St Colman’s Cathedral last year.
Thousands of people flocked to the cathedral last June to see the seven-metre wide rotating sculpture of planet Earth hanging from the cathedral’s magnificent vaulted ceiling as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival.
Thousands more are expected to pose for selfies and Insta moments in front of this new sculpture, once it is installed.
Cllr Anthony Barry, chair of the Cobh Municipal District, said talks on potential locations, involving the Wilsons, among others, are taking place, and he is hopeful that agreement can be reached soon. The location will determine whether a Part 8 planning application is required. Mr Barry said:
The Wilsons commissioned British steel fabricator, Ray Lonsdale, to create the piece for their UK home, but then opted to gift it to the people of Cobh.
Mr Lonsdale, an artist who works from his 'Two Red Rubber Things' studio near Durham, in the northeast of England, is renowned for his oversized, and often sombre sculptures, many of which are inspired by, and installed close to the sea.
He spent five months crafting the piece from corten weathering steel, a durable material with a high nickel and copper content, which will weather well and last for centuries.
It depicts a bearded sailor playing a squeeze box while singing The Holy Ground, with one of his booted feet resting on a stool.
“I’m a steel fabricator who drifted into the art world,” Mr Lonsdale said. “The piece [is] two-times life size, about 12ft tall. The scale acts as another level of interest.
“It will be installed at ground level because I like people to be able to get up and around the piece and get involved with the work. I would like it to complement the town and other works in the town.
“As for an ideal location, I hope the sea is involved and that there is a decent background.
“It can be facing inland, with the sea as a backdrop, or facing out with a good backdrop — it's all about the right imagery and context for people who visit it and want to take a photograph with it.”
He said he would like to attend the unveiling, whenever it’s ready, but finds such occasions unnerving.
“Especially if it’s classic unveiling, with the curtain coming down. My knee caps would be going up and down, hoping it will be received well.”