Three Iora Nua sculptures unveiled at Market Square, Longford Town

Three Iora Nua sculptures unveiled at Market Square, Longford Town
Sculptures will be placed permanently in Ballymahon, Granard, and Longford Town

Press Release
24 May 2022

Three new Iora Nua sculptures have been officially unveiled by Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Peggy Nolan at the Market Square in Longford Town. The unveiling took place on Friday, 20 May.

Iora Nua (or ‘new squirrel’) is a partnership project with Longford County Council Arts Office. It is funded by Creative Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

The culmination of a three-year project with Mide Arts Group and sculptor Tom Duffy, these new squirrels are a follow up to the ‘Mr Nuts’ sculpture which took up residence in Newtownforbes in February.

The three new squirrels are named Myth & Legends, The Mythic, and The T-1911. They were completed by local artists, included Mary Fleming, Phil Atkinson and Kevin Flood.

The playful sculptures are eight-foot-tall and made up of fibre glass. The squirrel is neither grey nor red, but instead multi-coloured and also are a combination of both species anatomically.

All four Iora Nua squirrel sculptures will tour County Longford this summer before being placed permanently in Ballymahon, Granard, Longford and Newtownforbes.

Welcoming the project, Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Peggy Nolan said, “Iora Nua brings together fantastic local artists. It highlights the talent we have here in Longford which has been put to excellent use creating art to add joy and fun to our public spaces. Many thanks goes to the artists, the Mide Art Group, Tom Duffy and Longford County Council, particularly its Arts Office.”

Mide member and project founder Shane Crossan explained, “Iora Nua is playful and vibrant public art supporting the enhancement of towns and villages and bringing some colour and fun to the built environment. The squirrel is a cultural mascot for County Longford. It’s one of our oldest local species from a time when Ireland was covered in forests. More recently it shares a contested history with its American cousin, the grey squirrel, who visited Newtownforbes in 1911 – and never left.”

ENDS
All media queries should be directed to the Longford County Council Communications Officer via mediaenquiries@longfordcoco.ie or by calling 043 334 4217.