LIMERICK City and County Council has confirmed that a proposed €500,000 revolving prism art installation on O’Connell Street will not go ahead.
Councillors were told at this Monday’s Metropolitan District meeting that the artwork, which was to form part of a €5 million Urban Animation Capital Investment Scheme in partnership with Limerick City and County Council, is now off the table.
Council members, who were only hearing this news for the first time at their monthly meeting, expressed shock and disbelief that they had not been notified of this development.
Executive Architect Seamus Hanrahan explained that the council decided not to proceed with the project as there wasn’t unanimous agreement, and it was felt the submissions were not of a high enough quality.
Proposed to be built at the junction of Lower Thomas Street and O’Connell Street, a rotating prism was initially suggested as the art installation to form part of the overall development, due to be completed in two weeks time.
“Councillors should have been briefed,” Cllr Olivia O’Sullivan (FG) said.
Other locations across the country were also invited to avail of the Urban Animation Capital Investment Scheme funding to produce a variety of large-scale outdoor performances, public art and light installations.
The Council explained that they had not drawn down the funding, but did not rule out coming back to looking at an art installation for O’Connell Street at another time.
Cllr O’Sullivan, Cathaoirleach of the Metropolitan District, called for the local authority to take a more “playful and family-friendly” approach to an art piece in the centre of the city. She referenced Adelaide’s Three Golden Pigs statue, and took the view that something similar could be considered with the city’s history of bacon factories.
Fianna Fáil councillor James Collins was not at all impressed with the news and hit out that an artificial chicane had been introduced to facilitate an installation.
“Now all we are left with is this ridiculous chicance,” he told the executive.
