Hurling monument a must for city following history-making four-in-a-row
By Naoise Coogan
The mayor of Kilkenny has called for a monument to be erected that would honour Kilkenny’s reputation for ‘the finest hurlers in the land’.
Mayor Malcolm Noonan said that it was only fitting that the sport of hurling be given prominence in the form of an artistic structure in the city centre so that tourists and locals have something that represents and remembers Kilkenny’s hurling greats of the present and the past.
He said that a sculpture of a hurler would be an appropriate landmark and would ideally mark Kilkenny’s success in the sport, but he added that it was important that it would be accessible and central so that people could see it and enjoy the monument conveniently.
“I think that hurling and particularly our hurlers and their manager have put Kilkenny on the map and this needs to be recognised,” he said. “People come to Kilkenny having heard about our hurling ability and skill and yet there is no evidence to suggest that we are great! This needs to be rectified and it will be rectified.”
The wheels are now in motion to get the project moving and Mayor Noonan has recommended that a public competition take place to choose an appropriate artist to create the monument.
“We are lucky because we have the funds set aside for this project. This is not a new proposal — it has been discussed in the past by the members of Kilkenny Borough Council but nothing has been done about it to date. Now is the right time to get the show on the road and produce the goods. It will be of benefit to all and the money is there from the Percent for Art scheme from various road capital spending projects. Under the State scheme, public bodies are required to allocate one per cent of the cost of public works projects for the arts, usually sculpture. And this has been done. We are renowned for our arts and crafts activities and our hurling prowess and this should be marked with an appropriate piece of sculpture,” he said.
There are already two wonderful sculptures of hurlers around the county in Thomastown and Threecastles that were commissioned locally but they are not easily accessible to tourists on foot, and Mayor Noonan would like to see the sculpture in place close to the castle, possibly on the new parade.
“I suggest that an adjudication panel be assembled comprising the National Crafts Council, the Heritage Council, Kilkenny County Council arts officer, and directors of services of the local authorities as this requires expert input from those involved in the arts.
“I would hope that this project would come to fruition sooner rather than later while the momentum is still there from the four-in- a-row. It would be great if it could come to pass within the year,” he said.
Meanwhile chairman of Kilkenny County Council Michael O’Brien said that a monument “with a Kilkenny theme” would be most welcome for the county, but he said that he understood that if it were to be funded by the road projects arts scheme of the NRA, the monument would be located along the new N9/N10 route in the county and not in the city.
“We are talking with the NRA about a piece of art for the county with a Kilkenny theme but it is ultimately up to the NRA what will be commissioned,” he said.
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