Mayo sculptor creates sound sculpture for special needs school

MAYO sculptor Cathal McCarthy has created a unique new sonic sculpture for St. Patrick's Special School in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

The artist has created a sensory sound garden for students with special needs that can be used for musical education and enjoyment.

It is composed of a series of large scale colourful chimes, a seven-note bell tree and 36-note hand tuned xylophone.

The installation - entitled Sonic Garden - will function as an outdoor classroom full of sensory sounds and colour that will assist with sensory learning.

The playable sound installation has been designed for ease of use and accessibility for students of all ages to enjoy music creation.

The largest sound installation of its kind in Ireland, it will provide a recreational and educational function for the students to enjoy in the school garden so they can create their own music and sonic orchestra.

Speaking about the installation, principal Lee Rodgers said it was a great use of the Percent for Art scheme funded by the Department of Education, and a beautiful way to provide an educational and artistic music installation for the new school that caters for 140 students with additional needs.

The project was created using advanced modelling and laser cutting technology methods at Olandi Engineering in Castlebar. It will be launched on Friday, March 14, in Enniscorthy.

Visual artist Cathal McCarthy is well known for his iconic sculptures in Ireland, including Word-Tree in Louisburgh, The Player in Ballindine, and Stream-Spire in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.

He is currently working on a major new installation for Roscommon County Council entitled Big Skygazer. This will be installed in Mote Park in Roscommon in the coming weeks and is a collaboration with Michael McLaughlin (B.Arch), lecturer in art at ATU Limerick and director of Monarú studios in Limerick.

For more information, see www.cathalmccarthy.net.