Eileen Galvin from Lower Dripsey, Co. Cork, has won a spot at the prestigious Bord Bia Bloom, running from 1st – 5th June in the Phoenix Park, thanks to her sustainable sculpture 'Confucius'.
A mature student of Fine Arts at St. John's College of FET, the 50-year-old entered the garden sculpture competition, sponsored by Curry's, as she was open to taking on new challenges following a serious illness.
The competition was open to budding sculptors post-Leaving Cert or practicing in either creative or practical courses or apprenticeships in Ireland, and all entries were required to be made primarily out of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
According to Curry's, Irish households produce an estimated average of 52.4kg of e-waste every year, the third highest in Europe. As Ireland's leading specialist electrical retailer, the company recognised that it had a responsibility and an opportunity to mitigate the effects of e-waste on the environment.
The Cork woman's winning piece - which earned her a spot at Bloom, €3,000 plus an APPLE 12.9" iPad Pro and an APPLE Pencil (2nd Gen) - was made of stripped cables and earphones, plinths, and old wire hangers.
Speaking on her sustainable creation, Eileen said: " My design, Confucius, is a mythical bird built from electrical waste, almost entirely made from, striped cables and earphones, apart from the plinth which is a found log, and the skeleton which is old wire hangers.
"Confucius is bringing a message of morality. He wishes us to look after this earth. He wants us to dispose and recycle our waste properly, or we will stumble into an ever-deeper danger of utter confusion and loss of our beautiful flora and fauna."
