By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy Castle
Enniscorthy-born artist John Busher presents Fallow Bridge, a new commission and site-specific installation supported by Wexford County Council (Commemoration Award 2025) in Enniscorthy Castle.
A series of sculptures was created in response to the destruction of infrastructure during the War of Independence and Civil War in a local context, which is explored from sites such as Taylorstown Viaduct, Wellington Bridge Railway Station, and Palace East Railway Station in collaboration with Bannow Historical Society.
Taylorstown Viaduct is a seven-arch viaduct built over a river valley, built between 1904/6 and opened in 1906. It was almost destroyed in 1922 but was reconstructed in 1923 following the Irish Civil War.
This was part of the broader Fishguard and Rosslare Railway (FRR) line. Following the partition of Ireland into a Free State, guerrilla warfare saw roads, bridges and railways come under attack, such as Palace East Railway Station.
Research in collaboration with Bannow Historical Society fed into outcomes in a local context, collecting research orally and from a variety of other sources, such as archival services within the County Library and national archives.
A puffball nestles between 75 fallen stars, each commemorating the civil war dead in Co. Wexford. The coming spring, rooting for their abundant growth and transformation.
John Busher is a native of Enniscorthy who graduated from NCAD with an MA Art in the Contemporary World (2015), a Post Grad (2008), and an Honours Degree (1999). Selected solo shows include When All Else Fails, Rathfarnham Castle (2025), Tidal Ballads Sung Wrong, City Assembly House, Dublin (2022), We Often Forget, The Complex, Dublin (2020), and Jostle, Pallas Projects, Dublin (2017).
Works can be found in the collections of the OPW, Wexford County Council and Department of Education & Science.
The Exhibition ‘Fallow Bridge’ by John Busher runs until Saturday, April 11th at Enniscorthy Castle, Castle Hill, Enniscorthy.
WexfordLocal.com 