Bull soon to assume its place in centre of Navan

The bull sculpture which will be erected in Navan's Market Square as part of the ongoing refurbishment project, will be delivered to the town before Christmas. Cllr Shane Cassells has described the sculpture, currently in sculptor Colin Grehan's workshop in the village of Kilbeacanty in Co Galway, as one of most significant pieces of artwork to be unveiled in Ireland this year. Plans for the sculpture were met with controversy when it was commisioned almost a decade ago, and it will certainly generate plenty of debate when it is finally hoisted onto its plinth in a central position in the renovated Market Square. Depicting two men struggling to contain the bull by its lead rope, the piece is remarkable in its detail which manages to convey the energy of the battle between the animal and the men. It was viewed last week by Cllr Shane Cassells and Meath County Council Council arts officer Gerardette Bailey who met with Colin Grehan in his workshop in Galway. According to Cllr Cassells, the sculpture is going to "bring a sense of vibrancy and life to the traditional heart of the town". Weighing in at 16 tonnes (it was carved from a block of limestone weighing nearly twice that amount), the bull sculpture has been in storage for seven years due to various wranglings at town council level. However, with the refurbishment of Market Square now nearing completion, the process of putting the finishing touches to the sculpture and preparing the bull for his journey to Navan has begun. The sculpture will be placed on an elevated plinth also designed by Grehan that will be surrounded by special paving in a Celtic design. It will also incorporate grass planting, trees, seating and specially designed surface lighting. The carving of the sculpture was highly labour-intensive as Grehan employed a process of 'plug and feather' using special drill pieces to give the effect of body movement. Cllr Cassells praised Grehan for achieving such a "remarkable" level of detail. "It is an amazing piece and what is most impressive is the sense of energy that comes from it due to the way Colin has portrayed the struggle between the men and the bull," said Cllr Cassells. "This is a striking piece that represents the market area of our town and to have it in place as we complete the refurbishment of the area is fantastic. It really does blow you away when you see it up close and the level of detail is such that you could spend hours just admiring it. People are always commenting about the fantastic civic areas they experience when on holidays abroad but we have a very bad record of providing public art in our towns at home," he added. The piece was funded under the Per Cent Arts fund and was due to be delivered in 2003. At the time, 18 submissions were received by the then UDC and these were shortlisted to five with Grehan's piece winning out. From Gort in County Galway, the artist is best known for his piece - 'Architects of the Land' - on the N7 outside Nenagh which depicts a bull on one side of the road pulling away from a workman located on the other side. Its unveiling will mark what is going to be a series of investments in public art in the town. An audio walking tour is also going to be launched before Christmas while another sculpture from local artist Betty Newman-Maguire has recently arrived on Kennedy Road and is awaiting its unveiling.