THE world, his wife and children are invited to bring a picnic to People’s Park on Friday July 3 at 12.30pm for the launch of the next Urban Horse. Hopefully, The RubberBandits will be around for ‘da horse outside’ excitement and there will be free ice cream for all.
This latest gallop joins another four (repainted freshly by city groups) and is a continuation of Limerick City of Culture’s legacy project of 15 launched on Culture Night by Pat Cox.
July 3’s is a one-off creation by PALLS – Probation and Linkage in Limerick Scheme – being shaped since March at their Dock Road site by men who have a history of offending and find access to other sources of training or education difficult.
It’s an ideal vehicle for the scheme’s dedication to partnerships and motto, ‘Building a Better Future Together’. Their painted murals reflecting movement from darkness to light.
A dozen worked on the PALLS horse and plinth with programme manager Margaret Griffin and Limerick Corridor Art Ltd’s Angela Griffin, who initiated the Urban Horse story eight years ago. It’s been a meaningful project, notably harmonious and joyful and playing to the men’s strength at their timber workshop. Team building, research, art methodology and history inform the end product, another Urban Horse hero.
Enabled by videos of past work on these inimitably Limerick works of art and mission, LSAD Sculpture volunteers Aisling Mc Grory and Tara Keegan honed technique on this 6’4 x 4’ kneeling fibreglass
Angela makes the point that “the men brought their children in towards the end, nearing completion and got them to put their colourful imprint on their horse, now part of the whole project, the whole process. There are smiles all around, the men could not be happier.”
