Launch of the Arklow Lifeboat 2017 Calendar
The official launch of the 2017 Arklow Lifeboat calendar will take place at the RNLI table quiz in The Old Ship on tonight, 4th November 2016. The calendar, which features original photographs taken by members of the Tommy Byrne Photographic Society, will be on sale in the Lifeboat Shop and local shops for €5.
M11 Butterfly Sculpture
In 2016 Mike Johnson was commissioned by Wicklow County Council to create a work to be sited along the new M11 motorway. Mr Johnson wanted a work that was instantly recognisable, considering that the audience would be travelling past the sculpture at speed. He wanted a work that extended along the verge to prolong the view of it. He chose butterflies because they offered the greatest opportunity to allow as many individuals as possible to make a contribution towards the design of the creature’s wings, their connection to the natural world and how that is open to interpretation and appreciation was another advantage.
School children from Co. Wicklow worked with Mike Johnson in creating the butterfly sculpture which can be seen on M11 near Wicklow town. Two schools in Arklow were involved in this project – St. Joseph’s National School and Carysfort National School – and were recently presented with a model of the butterflies which they specifically did and also received a book made by Mike to document the process of making the sculprute. A group of eight to ten children work on the project and Mr. Johnson spent about half a day with each group. The pictures shown above is the work done by the children of Carysfort Nation School on the project.
Good News for Wicklow Partnership Group
There was great excitement in the Wicklow Partnership offices in Avoca River House this week when employees discovered they won a substantial amount in the Euromillions draw. The 24 member syndicate collected the cheque for €156,002 during the week and will each get €6,500. A spokesperson for the group said “It means a happy Christmas for us all”.