I first came across Katy Goodhue’s work in March 2008 when I visited Dillon’s Park and a few years later I came across the following:
MEETING OF DÚN LAOGHAIRE AREA COMMITTEE 22 NOVEMBER 2010
Fixing of Goat sculptures in Dillon’s Park, Dalkey
Question: Councillor S. Fitzpatrick – “To ask the Manager to fix the damage to the goat sculptures in Dillon’s Park, Coliemore Road, Dalkey, and to ask the Manager to explore the feasibility of installing a more robust goat sculpture in replace of the concrete sculpture?”
Reply: In 2007, Dlr Arts Office engaged Jason Ellis, a sculpture conservator, to undertake a condition audit of the public sculptures in the County. It was noted that Katy Goodhue’s Goats, sited in Dillon’s Park, ‘would be hard to restore/conserve’.
In 2008, the Public Art Steering Group developed internal guidelines around the decommissioning of artworks sited in public places in the County. Deaccession is the complete removal of an artwork from public display and from the County Collection of public artwork and would only take place after a considered process.
Certain conditions have to apply before an artwork would be considered for deaccession, for example, if the work has significantly deteriorated or if it requires a level of maintenance and/or conservation which constitutes an unsustainable expenditure level.
This sculpture is on the list of public artworks to be actioned over the course of the next arts strategy. Due to the poor condition of the sculpture, the Arts Office will be recommending that the work be decommissioned. At present, due to financial constraints, the commissioning and installation of a new sculpture at that location will not be feasible.
Contact: Kenneth Redmond, Arts Officer, Environment, Culture & Community
To the best of my knowledge Dillon’s Park is named after a Miss Dillon who operated a tearoom. Also, the sculptures shown in my photographs may have been decommissioned.
Photographed 16 March 2008 which is more than 14 years ago and I used a Canon 1Ds MkIII and a 100-400mm lens. I no longer have the lens and back then I had lot of problems with the camera body as auto-focus was faulty. I no longer have the lens but I still use the camera but in manual mode. The images were re-processed in June 2017 (do not remember why).
I first came across Katy Goodhue’s work in March 2008 when I visited Dillon’s Park and a few years later I revisited the area and could not find the concrete goats and was somewhat confused. Later I was supplied with the following information:
MEETING OF DÚN LAOGHAIRE AREA COMMITTEE 22 NOVEMBER 2010
Fixing of Goat sculptures in Dillon’s Park, Dalkey
Question: Councillor S. Fitzpatrick – “To ask the Manager to fix the damage to the goat sculptures in Dillon’s Park, Coliemore Road, Dalkey, and to ask the Manager to explore the feasibility of installing a more robust goat sculpture in replace of the concrete sculpture?”
Reply: In 2007, Dlr Arts Office engaged Jason Ellis, a sculpture conservator, to undertake a condition audit of the public sculptures in the County. It was noted that Katy Goodhue’s Goats, sited in Dillon’s Park, ‘would be hard to restore/conserve’.
In 2008, the Public Art Steering Group developed internal guidelines around the decommissioning of artworks sited in public places in the County. Deaccession is the complete removal of an artwork from public display and from the County Collection of public artwork and would only take place after a considered process.
Certain conditions have to apply before an artwork would be considered for deaccession, for example, if the work has significantly deteriorated or if it requires a level of maintenance and/or conservation which constitutes an unsustainable expenditure level.
This sculpture is on the list of public artworks to be actioned over the course of the next arts strategy. Due to the poor condition of the sculpture, the Arts Office will be recommending that the work be decommissioned. At present, due to financial constraints, the commissioning and installation of a new sculpture at that location will not be feasible.
There are several small harbours on the coast of Dalkey. Bulloch Harbour is the biggest; it is towards the northern part of Dalkey at Harbour Road and is a declared seal sanctuary. Coliemore Harbour is much smaller but very picturesque and is in the southern part of Dalkey at Coliemore Road. In the Middle Ages Coliemore was the main harbour for Dublin City. Bulloch Harbour is still a working harbour with boats that fish for lobster and crab. It is also used by locals and tourists who hire boats for nearby fishing, sightseeing and for getting to Dalkey Island.
COLLIEMORE ROAD [PHOTOGRAPHED A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE 2008 PROPERTY CRASH
When I visited in April 2007 I photographed at random and did not pay much attention to the upmarket homes so the area may look less impressive that it is in reality.
Colliemore Road has/had some well known residents including the film director Jim Sheridan who placed his seafront modern abode Martha’s Vineyard on the market for €8m.
Victorian Cliff Castle, owned by former Blacktie boss Niall O’Farrell and according to a local that I spoke to the rent was, if you were interested, Euro 10,000 per week.
Broadcaster Vincent Browne sold his seaside six-bedroom home Atlanta on Coliemore in 2011 for €2.6m and during the boom years, Elsinore, the period house where U2 recorded one of their albums was offered for €5.7m.
One of Ireland’s grandest homes, Victoria House on two acres, is located on Coliemore. The house features a large fairytale tower and was offered for sale at auction in 2001 by the Lenehan hardware dynasty but failed to sell but in 2014 it sold for €5.5m.
DALKEY ISLAND AND THE MUGLINS PHOTOGRAPHED APRIL 2007
The rocks to the east of the main island are known as “The Muglins” and are a different group or chain. These form a danger to shipping and have been fitted with a distinctive beacon. The beacon stands on the site of what was once a ‘gibbet’ where the bodies of two pirates, Peter McKinlie and George Gidley were displayed following their execution for the murders of Captain Cockeran, Captain George Glas and his family and others on board the ship Earl of Sandwich in 1765. Their remains lie buried under the concrete plinth base of the beacon.
Dalkey Island is an island for which the nearby village of Dalkey is named. It is an uninhabited island located c. 16 km (9.9 mi) south of Dublin and 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Dún Laoghaire harbour. An important site of pilgrimage for centuries, it has been known as “St Begnet’s Isle” since records began. The earliest reference to ‘Dalkey Island’ is from c. 1782. The island had a population of 8 in 1841.
The island is currently uninhabited but there is evidence of human occupation dating back to the Neolithic period. The remains of field systems, a church, a cairn burial, a gun battery and the Martello Tower still exist.
There are two Holy Wells, one on the western shoreline is known locally as the “Scurvy Well” and is located within a surrounding stone structure. There is also a bullaun stone formed from an earthbound boulder. This may have been used as a pagan altar as it was ‘Christianised’ in the 7th century by carving an early Christian cross on the face. This lies close to the remains of the church. At the northern extremity of the Island there is evidence of a deep ditch or fosse that was the boundary of a medieval Promontary Fort. Located less than 300 metres off the mainland, the island comprises 9 hectares (22 acres).
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