By Dan Walsh
Last Friday Cllr Ger Carthy from Rosslare Municipal District sent members of the local media an artist’s impression of the OPWs proposed piece of public roadside art planned to be installed centre of the roundabout at the entrance to Rosslare Europort.
Cllr Carthy informed us that the price is sure to be north of €150,000. He described the proposal as “a monstrosity” and lamented “not a penny available for truck parking in the village or beyond.”
To say that the story ‘got legs’ on social media is a misnomer! It has reached Ronnie Delaney proportions! And the vast majority are backing Cllr Carthy almost 100%.
The only enthusiastic support towards the Rosslare proposal came from arts enthusiast, Jeremy Hill of the Monksgrange Archives Group, who claims it is “a good piece”. He views it as “the excellent concept of ‘Per Cent for Art.”
On social media, Mr Hill says; “It asks questions like -what’s holding me up. It uses ambient light to compare the top and bottom surfaces. It has a twisting dynamic yet presents a feeling of balance. It appears slightly off centre which brings you back to its sense of strength.
He adds; “What is not wanted is another boat in bronze. Art and truck parks have nothing to do with each other and this brings us back to the excellent concept of ‘Per Cent for Art.’
Over the weekend WexfordLocal.com carried out some basic research into matter and came up with the following: “The Per Cent for Art scheme is a government initiative, first introduced in 1978, whereby 1% of the cost of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development can be allocated to the commissioning of a work of art. Since 1997 this scheme has been made available to all capital projects across all government departments.”
No doubt this story will run for a few more days and then expire for eternity! But one fact is for certain, by the time the project is completed… the budget will have been lost in the disastrous mist of inflation.
WexfordLocal.com 