Worst public art in Ireland

Muahahaha · 02-05-2014 12:19am #1

What do people think is the worst public art in Ireland ?

For me it has to be this monstrosity which is found on the M7 Dublin to Cork road, just at the junction for Naas.
http://http://www.kildare.ie/ArtsService/media/Media,21165,en.jpg

I really pity the people of Naas having to live near that thing. I think it would be even worse for those who commute by car to Dublin every day. After a long hard days work they get in the car and spend the best part of 40 minutes grinding gears and brakes, going bumper to bumper just to get to the Red Cow roundabout. Then there's gonna be a traffic jam because of Newlands Cross roadworks, you battle through that but it's still another 15 miles till you're home, more than an hour after you left. Then when it is finally time to peel off the motorway what welcomes you after an hour of commuter hell and rush hour traffic ? A big feckin ball with road markings all over it. Talk about trying to piss people off, what on earth were the 'artists' thinking of ?

Any better examples ?

ArtyC · 02-05-2014 12:22am

The ****ing Spire

fleet_admiral · 02-05-2014 12:27am

ArtyC wrote: »

The ****ing Spire

I like the spire

Robbo · 02-05-2014 12:27am

Any of those "make the urchins do a graffiti" schemes where the "marginalised" are "empowered to foster community spirit" and placate some middle class guilt. For 20 minutes until one of their mates tags a cock'n'balls motif over it, restoring the balance of nature.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 02-05-2014 12:27am

Most roadside art on the motorways is a bit

I do like the sculptures of the bull and the 'strongman' on either side of the Nenagh bypass though.

WoollyRedHat · 02-05-2014 12:32am

That maroon looking yoke in Dun Laoghaire, it's a heap of ****e, matter of fact a polished turd would look better there.

Say what you want about Queen Victoria, but the chick had style, that art opposite the way in tribute to her visit is much nicer.

Here it is, contemporary art, what a load of crap:

That naked sculpture guy on the way to Centra in the UCD Campus is trying way too hard too.

Troy Lumberjack · 02-05-2014 12:33am

Dunno about the worst, but I love the herd of deer beside junction 30 on the M7 near Limerick. Verr good.

dpofloinn · 02-05-2014 12:42am

There are 2 monstrosities on the motorway between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Ennis and I really hope that they didnt cost money.One near Ennis looks like an off cut from a coil of wire that fell off a lorry and was just left up on the bank just to get it of the road, the second one near Newmarket looks like someone was melting some metal and made a balls of it so just dumped it at the side of the road it has a tree growing up in the middle of it now ffs

Lapin · 02-05-2014 12:44am

The empty bottle of Buckfast that was installed on a windowsill of one of the flats opposite Galway Railway station 6 months ago is beginning to show signs of wear and tear already.

Needs polishing.

Again.

Sir Arthur Daley · 02-05-2014 12:48am

Troy Lumberjack wrote: »

Dunno about the worst, but I love the herd of deer beside junction 30 on the M7 near Limerick. Verr good.

All thanks to fenton.

Zaph · 02-05-2014 12:52am

Those miserable looking famine statues on the quay in front of the Custom House. Awful looking yokes, but there always seems to be an endless steam of tourists taking their photos with them. Some of the junk on the side of the Dublin-Cork road is pretty awful too.

Shane.C · 02-05-2014 12:56am

NUI Galway haven't a notion.

fleet_admiral · 02-05-2014 12:57am

Shane.C wrote: »

NUI Galway haven't a notion.

someone playing blockbusters while on acid?

ballsymchugh · 02-05-2014 1:00am

this excellent piece of public art is probably gone by now. it was somewhere along the red luas line near the four courts

http://backontherock.com/2011/07/26/free-palestine/

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 02-05-2014 1:00am

Muahahaha wrote: »

What do people think is the worst public art in Ireland ?

For me it has to be this monstrosity which is found on the M7 Dublin to Cork road, just at the junction for Naas.
http://http://www.kildare.ie/ArtsService/media/Media,21165,en.jpg

I really pity the people of Naas having to live near that thing. I think it would be even worse for those who commute by car to Dublin every day. After a long hard days work they get in the car and spend the best part of 40 minutes grinding gears and brakes, going bumper to bumper just to get to the Red Cow roundabout. Then there's gonna be a traffic jam because of Newlands Cross roadworks, you battle through that but it's still another 15 miles till you're home, more than an hour after you left. Then when it is finally time to peel off the motorway what welcomes you after an hour of commuter hell and rush hour traffic ? A big feckin ball with road markings all over it. Talk about trying to piss people off, what on earth were the 'artists' thinking of ?

Any better examples ?

With a considise and constructive argument like that, why are you not writing the artscolumn for the Sunday Independent? I mean - this is AH! You're ****ign wasted in here...

dpofloinn · 02-05-2014 1:01am

Shane.C wrote: »

NUI Galway haven't a notion.

At least its somewhat usefull. Generations of students have used the BYT as a meeting point as there is no mistaking it, unlike the random crap that is strewn across the countrys roads if it wasnt called ''ART'' it would be considered fly tipping

fleet_admiral · 02-05-2014 1:04am

there is some stegosaurus rusted type thing on the road between Gorey and Arklow (I think). it freaks me out every time I go by

cactuspaw · 02-05-2014 1:05am

There's 2 bits of metal before the toal bridge on the main Galway Dublin motorway, near Enfeild.
They annoy me every time I pass. Look like 2 pineapple rings ether side of the road.

debabyjesus · 02-05-2014 1:07am

The worst has to be that stupid arrangement of white spikes and colour things on an embankment of the M7 around Kildare I think. It starts off with one white spike the multiplies and ends with one white spike.

It looks like rubbish strewn on the embankment until you realise it has some sort of pattern. I wonder how much it cost.

I like the naas ball fwiw. The man and bull at nenagh is great. The arch on the roscrea bypass is cool but easily missed, possibly the worst placed road art from the ones I've seen.

Lapin · 02-05-2014 1:08am

Ah, where would we be without the BYT?

There's a thing on the wall just inside the door of the concourse on the left explaining what it's all about.

I read it once but I'm still none the wiser.

All I remember is that it's been there since the 1970s which did surprise me.

Chorcai · 02-05-2014 1:12am

So people want fancy Art on the motorways so drivers will be distracted because of it and crash, good logic there lads.

Yamanoto · 02-05-2014 1:13am

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Say what you want about Queen Victoria, but the chick had style, that art opposite the way in tribute to her visit is much nicer.

Here it is, contemporary art, what a load of crap:

The Shinners actually took exception to the restoration of that dainty gazebo opposite, describing it as 'inappropriate, unnecessary and offensive'.

They even held a picket ffs.

http://republican-news.org/archive/2003/May15/15dunl.html

WoollyRedHat · 02-05-2014 1:27am

Yamanoto wrote: »

The Shinners actually took exception to the restoration of that dainty gazebo opposite, describing it as 'inappropriate, unnecessary and offensive'.

They even held a picket ffs.

http://republican-news.org/archive/2003/May15/15dunl.html

They might as well protest against all the Victorian buildings while they're at it.

orangesoda · 02-05-2014 1:38am

The Hugh O'Donnell monument

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Gaelic_Chieftain.jpg

The God of the sea statue in Co.Derry is epic though

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2889/9128494279_da69ef798c.jpg

_Redzer_ · 02-05-2014 1:42am

Shane.C wrote: »

NUI Galway haven't a notion.

I like that. I pretty much walk by it everyday and I'm still not bothered by it.

People think art has to be something identifiable for it to be "good", which completely misses the point of art.

Sir Arthur Daley · 02-05-2014 1:44am

Chorcai wrote: »

So people want fancy Art on the motorways so drivers will be distracted because of it and crash, good logic there lads.

Having shiit art is equally if not more distracting.

Charlie19 · 02-05-2014 1:50am

The shyte thats set in hills after the toll on the M4 heading for Galway.

Just random circles, pointless dirt all together.

Muahahaha · 02-05-2014 2:19am

Here's a piece of motorway art in the uk. It's not for everyone but at least you can say it makes an impact
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/sins.php

jill_valentine · 02-05-2014 2:28am

I used to work in an office in Park West where I had a fine view of Sisyphus.

What kind of bastard makes office workers look at something like that all day.

http://www.orladebri.ie/works/public-works/medium/orla-de-bri-the-bastard-son-of-sisyphus-public-works-3.jpg

CrabRevolution · 02-05-2014 2:38am

There's a nice monument on the N3/M3 just after the border between Meath and Dublin. Shows a man opening a gate and beckoning to the cars travelling in the Meath direction toward him.

I like to think of it as Meath's Statue of Liberty, welcoming the tired, huddled masses coming from Dublin, yearning to breathe free.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 02-05-2014 3:12am

The disgusting multicolour statue of an accordion at Ballindine, Co Mayo.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Ballindineaccordion.JPG

Worst public art in Ireland

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