Tonnta na mBlianta
Represents a timeless pattern, l0 x 18 m, inlaid on the concrete retaining wall on the shoreline. Gneiss, the oldest rock at the centre, eminating outwards, with basalt and on through the ages of man, symbolised by copper, iron and stainless steel.
ARTWORK
This sculpture, 'Tonnta na Blianta' (Waves of the Years) is incorporated into a large retaining wall on the seafront at Kilcummin Pier. The pattern is a Fermat spiral, which was projected at midnight from the top of an 8.5 metre pole guyed into the seabed at a low water. The motif was chalked onto the wall and later drilled and plugged with in-bands from the centre outwards, including the materials Belmullet gneiss, basalt, copper, iron and stainless steel. The motif can be seen as a representation of time, influenced by the source of Belmullet gneiss and the work’s proximity to the ‘Ceide Fields’, a Neolithic site and the oldest known field system, dating to approximately 3500 BCE.
ARTIST - Simon Thomas
Simon was born in Portsmouth, England. ‘Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1988 he has completed numerous public and private sculpture commissions, exhibited work both in the U.K. and abroad, and travelled widely as a guest at international festivals and symposia’. He is known for his exquisitely carved sculptures set in natural locations, and research into nature's structures.
STATUS
The work has been subject to natural degradation from the sea and the motif has faded over the years.
Location:
Take the Ballycastle road out of Killala and turn right at Palmerstown Bridge, turn right at the third crossroads and on past the "Kerryman Inn" to Kilcummin Pier. On arriving at Kilcummin Pier, turn down past the cottages to the parking area, just before the pier. The sculpture is to your right and can be viewed from the parking area or along the shore at low tide.
latitude: 54.273845
longitude: -9.209397
