Cow art livens up ‘long acre’ on new dual carriageway
As motorists approach Limerick City, they pass a herd grazing the “long acre’, and wending their way homewards beside the new €100m dual carriageway - very appropriate in the county where our first co-op creamery was established more than a century ago deep in the Golden Vale.
The landmark artwork of life size cows in silhouette, each measuring six feet high and nine feet long, is the work of Irish-American artist Jim Collins, based in Chatanooga, Tennessee in the USA. He was the winner of a competition which attracted national and international entries for the design of suitable artwork for the new road.
His creation has been funded from the Department of the Environment’s Per Cent for Art Funds and the National Roads Authority, and was overseen by Limerick County Council.
The artwork comprises of 12 cows, some positioned walking one behind the other, wending their way homewards for milking, and another group set as though they were grazing the “long acre” along the road.
The cows appear in a selection of colours.
Jim Collins has completed a large number of public art commissions in the United States and he said that he is particularly happy with his first Irish commission in Limerick, and hopes that the colourful herd of cows will bring smiles from drivers and win the affection of children passing on the road.
