Public art in Letterkenny

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Letterkenny like many towns in Ireland has tried to improve its aesthetic appeal and commemorate its history and achievements with the commissioning of Public art and Monuments. Described below are examples of some of these.

• The Pole Star is a monument located on the Port Bridge Roundabout on the Derry Road. Its creator is a Derry man, Locky Morris. The project cost approximately €100,000. The site of the Polestar, on the Port Bridge Roundabout, has had an historic past where trade and goods were landed by boat and transported to the surrounding areas by rail and road. The monument is made of 104 timber poles and rises to a height of 12 metres. It is shaped like the outline of a boat and a train track which once operated in the town.

• The Workers is a monument made from stainless steel and stone and is located at The Dry Arch Roundabout in the town. The monument was created in 2001 by Maurice Harron. The monument commemorates a generation of men who worked on building the original bridge and train track at the Dry Arch. The piece of stone in the monument, which the workers are lifting, is a piece saved from the original bridge.

• The Celtic Cross is located in Cathedral Square, just across from St. Eunan's Cathedral in the town. It was erected to celebrate 2000 years since the birth of Jesus and is the largest Celtic Cross in Europe.

• Hiring Fairs were held in Letterkenny in years gone by when children between the ages of 11 and 16 were sold for periods of six months to wealthy farmers of the Lagan Valley. These Rabble Days were held annually in May and November at Speer's Lane, at the corner of Upper Main Street and a lasting memory to that era can be seen in Market Square where a beautiful monument of Rabble Children is located.

• Fireman’s Helmet is a monument located outside the fire station in Letterkenny. It is constructed of a galvanised steel tube with copper sheeting adn is a fine example of the work being done in the Travellers' project, Mountaintop, Letterkenny. This project is a government funded effort to educate and train Travellers in the dying skills of their culture in a modern world, through sculture and art.

• The Chair is also located on Market Square. Built from wood, its design contains various etchings and it has been present for about over one year at its current location following its first appearance in the summer of 2005 at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

• The Blacksmiths Ball is located outside Letterkenny Courthouse, between Upper Main Street and Port Road.

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