Row may cost town its sculpture

THE chairman of the Ennis Sculpture Initiative fears the town may lose out on a €40,000 sculpture depicting a market-day scene.

Noel Crowley expressed his fear when asked to comment on a continuing dispute between sculptor Barry Wrafter and the Sculpture Initiative.

The voluntary agency commissioned the piece and Mr Wrafter spent over a year working on the granite sculpture.

It depicts a market scene involving two farmers haggling over the price of a cow and was due to be in place in January this year.

Mr Wrafter said the three figures weigh a combined 22.5 tonnes. “One farmer weighs 7.5 tonnes and is 7.5ft tall and the cow is 6ft tall, 7ft long and 5ft thick. I’m proud of the work and would like people to see it.”

However, the sculpture remained yesterday in Mr Wrafter’s workshop.

The initiative has paid Mr Wrafter €35,000 to date and was due to make a final €5,000 payment in January. However, the payment wasn’t made as Ennis Town Council did not have a base in place for the piece to allow it be mounted as the parties are in dispute over the agreed size of the sculpture.

Mr Wrafter said he has incurred significant storage costs since January and a contribution towards those costs would resolve the dispute. He said it was a last resort to take legal advice on the matter and has sent the Sculpture Initiative two solicitor’s letters.

Mr Crowley said: “This is the first time in the 16 year history of the Sculpture Initiative that we have had something like this.

“The replacement value on all of the sculptures we have put in place through the initiative is in excess of €1 million. It is a signature of Ennis. I’m afraid that Ennis might lose out on this sculpture. It is a shame that it has come to this.”