18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY
![THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247458-1](https://excellentstreetimages.com/AllFormsOfPublicArtIncludingMonuments/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/THE-QUINCENTENNIAL-SAILS-SCULPTURE-BY-EAMONN-ODOHERTY-18-JUNE-2018-EYRE-SQUARE-IN-GALWAY-247458-1-1422x1067.jpg "THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247458-1")
![THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247455-1](https://excellentstreetimages.com/AllFormsOfPublicArtIncludingMonuments/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/THE-QUINCENTENNIAL-SAILS-SCULPTURE-BY-EAMONN-ODOHERTY-18-JUNE-2018-EYRE-SQUARE-IN-GALWAY-247455-1-1492x1119.jpg "THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247455-1")
![THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247456-1](https://excellentstreetimages.com/AllFormsOfPublicArtIncludingMonuments/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/THE-QUINCENTENNIAL-SAILS-SCULPTURE-BY-EAMONN-ODOHERTY-18-JUNE-2018-EYRE-SQUARE-IN-GALWAY-247456-1-1422x1067.jpg "THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247456-1")
![THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247457-1](https://excellentstreetimages.com/AllFormsOfPublicArtIncludingMonuments/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/THE-QUINCENTENNIAL-SAILS-SCULPTURE-BY-EAMONN-ODOHERTY-18-JUNE-2018-EYRE-SQUARE-IN-GALWAY-247457-1-1422x1067.jpg "THE QUINCENTENNIAL SAILS SCULPTURE BY EAMONN O'DOHERTY [18 JUNE 2018 EYRE SQUARE IN GALWAY]-247457-1")
The Quincentennial Sails Sculpture in Galway’s Eyre Square
This striking Corten steel sculpture, known as the Quincentennial Sails, was created by Irish artist Éamonn O’Doherty. The sculpture is situated in Eyre Square, Galway, a space that also features a freestanding fountain erected in 1984. My attempts to capture the sculpture photographically began in August 2015, with initial efforts using a Sony NEX-7 camera proving unsuccessful due to poor lighting conditions. Subsequent attempts were often hindered by event restrictions in Eyre Square that limited public access.
While reviewing my photographic archive, I rediscovered some images taken in June 2018. These were captured with an ultra-wide 15mm Voigtlander lens, resulting in significant distortion. At the time, I chose not to publish them. However, with recent improvements in distortion correction software, I’ve been able to rework four of these 2018 photographs, which I now present here.
Éamonn O’Doherty (1939 – 4 August 2011), a multi-talented artist born in Derry, Northern Ireland, worked across various media, including sculpture, painting, printmaking, photography, and lecturing. He was particularly renowned for his large-scale public sculptures. O’Doherty passed away in Dublin at the age of 72.