Sculpture

THIS CONE SHAPED OPJECT CAN BE SEEN AT HENNESSEY’S ROAD IN WATERFORD

August 16, 2025 by infomatique

I COULD NOT ESTABLISH IF IT IS A SCULPTURE

I first photographed this large cone many years ago and could not determine if it was a work of art or if it served some other purpose. A year ago I saw a photograph of it online and it was described as follows: “This monument was completed in 2008 by Waterford City Council. Allegedly it is to commemorate the old City Boundary.”

The cone-shaped monument on Hennessy’s Road is a compelling piece of public art with a clear, likely purpose. My follow up research confirms that its location aligns with a historical boundary of the County Borough of Waterford. The sculpture’s powerful and symbolic form, particularly the deliberate vertical split, serves as a fitting visual metaphor for a line of division, strengthening the argument that it is a monument commemorating this specific civic boundary.

However, the claims regarding its commissioning by Waterford City Council and its installation date of 2008 could not be verified. The absence of documentation in the records of known public art commissioning bodies suggests that the sculpture’s origin may be a private or unique project, rather than a standard municipal commission. The 2008 date is likely a point of local lore.

THE PEOPLES PARK IN WATERFORD 26 MAY 2016 – RAW FILES HAVE BEEN REPROCESSED

May 12, 2025 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY WILLIAM MURPHY

The People’s Park in Waterford is a significant green space in the city, offering a place for recreation and relaxation. Laid out in the 19th century, this 16.3-acre park boasts various features, including a children’s playground, a cycle track, and a Victorian-era bandstand.

A notable modern addition to the park is a spherical monument which also functions as a water feature. Created by artist Tina O’Connell and installed in 2002, this sculpture, titled ‘In-Visible’, consists of a large, transparent acrylic sphere through which clear water continuously flows. It rests on a circular platform made of black Kilkenny marble. Inspired by Waterford’s renowned glass industry, the ‘Orb Fountain’, as it is locally known, captures reflections of the park on its surface, inverting the surrounding scenery.

Near the Victorian bandstand, two cannons are proudly displayed. These are 24-pound short 1804 cannons manufactured in 1828 at the Aleksandrovsk cannon factory in Russia. Captured by the British Army at the Battle of Sebastopol during the Crimean War in 1854, these cannons were later presented to Waterford city in 1857 as war trophies. The cannons bear markings indicating their origin as naval artillery.

IN-VISIBLE BY TINA O’CONNELL

March 1, 2023 by infomatique

AN INTERESTING WATER FEATURE IN THE WATERFORD PEOPLES PARK

One thing that I have noticed in Ireland is that water features are never properly maintained and eventually they become non-water features. Unfortunately, when I photographed this a year later it was in very poor condition … hardly any water and lots of litter and branches within the pool area. But to be fair in 2017 it was in excellent condition and the water in the ball was clear.

In 1999, artist Tina O’Connell was commissioned to re-create a fountain on the same site as where there had been a Victorian style tiered fountain which had fallen into disrepair. Thus Tina’s contemporary sculpture is also a fully functioning fountain. After an extended period of research into the materials and of development ‘In-Visible’ was finally sited and fully installed in 2002.

‘In-Visible’ (2001) is a contemporary sculpture incorporating a water feature. Inspired by the connection between Waterford City and the world famous Waterford Glass industry, O’Connell’s work consists of a very large transparent acrylic sphere (2 metres in diameter), over which clear running water continuously flows, and which is positioned on a large, circular platform made from black Kilkenny marble. The work has been referred to locally as the ‘Orb Fountain’.