Two new landmarks have appeared along the recently opened N22 bypass of Macroom in Co Cork, adding to the roadmap of public art projects across the country.
The large scale sculptural heads are of the mythical goddess Áine, and of a Bronze Age girl, and were created by west Cork based artist Sarah Goyvaerts.
The two were commissioned by Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland with funding from the Per Cent for Art Scheme.
The scheme is a government initiative, first introduced in 1978, to fund public art.
The 'Bronze Age Girl' represents a young girl whose remains were found in a burial site during the archaelogical works for the N22 development, having been cremated and buried archaelogists say, with considerable care and effort at Kilnagurteen some 3,500 years ago.
The large scale sculpture is located on a raised verge facing eastbound traffic in the town land of Carrigaphooca on the N22 between Macroom and Baile Bhuirne. She is lined up to face the Winter Solstice sunset.
The second head represents 'Áine', the mythical goddess who is associated with fertility, abundance and the midsummer point of the year.
She is located on the raised verge facing oncoming westbound traffic in the townland of Coolavokig and has been positioned to face the summer solstice sunrise.
Both sculptures were created in ferrocement over a mesh and stainless-steel framework including natural pigments distilled from rocks found in the Baile Bhuirne area in the Múscraí Gaeltacht.
The public art project also saw the creation of a podcast series entitled 'Céimeanna - Tales and Trails', in which artist Ms Goyvaerts and Pádraig Ó Duimmín recorded conversations with people in Múscraí about the area along the N22 route.
