NO MONUMENTAL ERROR IN OMAGH WORK
No monumental error in Omagh work: artist
Vicky Lamont
newsdesk@irishnews.com
THE artist behind the Omagh bomb memorial has defended its complicated design following criticism that it does not properly work.
The single biggest loss of life during the Troubles is marked by two structures in the centre of the Co Tyrone town, linked by an elaborate sequence of mirrors.
A tall glass pillar sits at the site of the blast but a formal memorial garden in honour of the victims is 300 yards away around the corner. Large computer-controlled mirrors in the garden track the sun and reflect light down the street, where more mirrors direct the beams onto a three-dimensional heart inside the six-tonne obelisk. Newry-born artist Sean Hlllen was chosen to design the memorial along with landscape architect Desmond Fitzgerald.
The mirror system was used because Omagh is said to "receive the least amount of sunshine in Ireland" - and because the location of the bomb on Market Street is normally in the shade.
It was opened on the tenth anniversary of the Real IRA bombing in August 2008.
However the memorial - reported to have cost more than �400,000 in total - has been criticised both for its design and functionality.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the bombing, ; said he had never seen it working effectively.
'Visually it is dissatisfying. I think it is a pity after so much effort," he said.
Mr Gallagher said the memorial garden is too "clinical" and it was now time for all parties to come together to reexamine the design.
Mr Hillen last night defended the light pillar memorial, saying Omagh needed something "monumental and positive".
"Of course no light is visible when the sun doesn't shine but that was, from the beginning, in the proposal as part of the 'poetry' of the thing - the fact that Omagh gets the least sun of anywhere in Ireland." he said.
"But the sun does and will shine again, and then the light will appear in the heart."
Mr Hillen confirmed that a "minor technical difficulty" involving too much grease had caused problems, but insisted it had been diagnosed and fixed.
"The difficulties appeared during the second year, that one or other of the heliostats would irregularly report an error and pause, as they are designed to do for safety.
"When it was diagnosed the manufacturer designed a new arrangement which was installed to stop this happening, and that together with the fact that grease has now been mostly driven out means that it has been months since the last failure and we expect this problem to completely disappear with time.
"In the meantime the remediation has been done at no extra cost."
Mr Hillen said that everyone involved in the project had done their best in good faith.
SDLP councillor Josephine Deehan last night said that while many people have criticised the memorial as "unattractive", it was also important not to lose sight of its symbolism.
"The memorial is something that unites the people of the community in strength and determination," she said.
Vicky Lamont
newsdesk@irishnews.com
THE artist behind the Omagh bomb memorial has defended its complicated design following criticism that it does not properly work.
The single biggest loss of life during the Troubles is marked by two structures in the centre of the Co Tyrone town, linked by an elaborate sequence of mirrors.
A tall glass pillar sits at the site of the blast but a formal memorial garden in honour of the victims is 300 yards away around the corner. Large computer-controlled mirrors in the garden track the sun and reflect light down the street, where more mirrors direct the beams onto a three-dimensional heart inside the six-tonne obelisk. Newry-born artist Sean Hlllen was chosen to design the memorial along with landscape architect Desmond Fitzgerald.
The mirror system was used because Omagh is said to "receive the least amount of sunshine in Ireland" - and because the location of the bomb on Market Street is normally in the shade.
It was opened on the tenth anniversary of the Real IRA bombing in August 2008.
However the memorial - reported to have cost more than �400,000 in total - has been criticised both for its design and functionality.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the bombing, ; said he had never seen it working effectively.
'Visually it is dissatisfying. I think it is a pity after so much effort," he said.
Mr Gallagher said the memorial garden is too "clinical" and it was now time for all parties to come together to reexamine the design.
Mr Hillen last night defended the light pillar memorial, saying Omagh needed something "monumental and positive".
"Of course no light is visible when the sun doesn't shine but that was, from the beginning, in the proposal as part of the 'poetry' of the thing - the fact that Omagh gets the least sun of anywhere in Ireland." he said.
"But the sun does and will shine again, and then the light will appear in the heart."
Mr Hillen confirmed that a "minor technical difficulty" involving too much grease had caused problems, but insisted it had been diagnosed and fixed.
"The difficulties appeared during the second year, that one or other of the heliostats would irregularly report an error and pause, as they are designed to do for safety.
"When it was diagnosed the manufacturer designed a new arrangement which was installed to stop this happening, and that together with the fact that grease has now been mostly driven out means that it has been months since the last failure and we expect this problem to completely disappear with time.
"In the meantime the remediation has been done at no extra cost."
Mr Hillen said that everyone involved in the project had done their best in good faith.
SDLP councillor Josephine Deehan last night said that while many people have criticised the memorial as "unattractive", it was also important not to lose sight of its symbolism.
"The memorial is something that unites the people of the community in strength and determination," she said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/1052
Published Date: 30-Jul-11
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