Charlie says ‘thank you’ with new sculpture at Westport House

A UNIQUE new sculpture is being erected at the Quay entrance to Westport House as a 'thank you' from Charlie Bird to the local community.

Charlie, with wife Claire and their dog Tiger, have visited Westport with the gift of gratitude from the Climb with Charlie event for the wider Westport community.

The wooden sculpture, which stands at eight foot in height, was created by sculptor Seighean Ó Draoi, a stone and wood carver from Wicklow. The figure - An Saighdiúir (Soldier) - is made of Lebanese Cedar and represents an ancient Irish soldier.

It will be located by the Quay entrance to Westport House and Harry and Cathal Hughes were there to accept the gift alongside Michael King, estate and construction manager, Westport House.

The sculpture will be officially unveiled in the very near future.

The main inspiration for the work were the dispossessed Irish known as Tories and Woodkerns in the 16th Century. A Tory/Tóraighe is an outlaw in Irish. Kern/Ceithearn were a lightly armed foot soldier and as dispossessed they hid out in the woods and continued a guerilla war campaign against the English planters.

The image of the Saighdiúir came from a painting by German artist Albrecht Durrer of Irish soldiers fighting on the Continent in 1521. It's the closest they could get to a photo of how Irish Kerns and Gallowglass soldiers dressed with their cloaks and longswords.