Longford’s €63,000 giant violin installed along N5 by-pass

Motorists driving along the N5 by-pass around Longford town on Saturday morning witnessed the county’s €63,000 giant violin being installed on a roadside bank.

The violin, commissioned by the Public Art Committee of Longford County Council and funded by the ‘Percent for art’ funding scheme, is partially submerged in the ground.

The sculpture, the first of three major public art pieces set to be installed throughout Longford, is designed by Cork-based artist Alex Pentek.

“It’s a celebration of the musical heritage of Longford”, explained Longford Arts Officer Fergus Kennedy.

A second sculpture has been commissioned for the junction of St Michael’s Road and the Strokestown Road, administered on behalf of the Clúid Housing Association by the Council Arts Office with a €38,000 budget provided by Clúid.

The sculpture is an abstract piece of steel by Joe and Pat Walker and it represents the negative space between the letters ‘I’ and ‘F’ in the word ‘if’.

Eight villages in Longford are also set to benefit from the project, as a brief has been issued for sculptures in Ballymahon, Kenagh, Ardagh, Abbeylara, Granard, Newtownforbes, Drumlish and Aughnacliffe.

“We hope to establish a sculpture trail in Longford,” explained Mr Kennedy.

Costing €80,000, the final piece is the largest of the projects.

The brief for the final project can be viewed on visuallongford.ie