Local artist Sarah’s female heads adorn new Macroom N22 bypass

A WEST Cork artist has produced two large scale sculptures that have been installed along the new N22 road between Macroom and Ballyvourney.

The sculptural forms, representing female heads, were created by artist Sarah Goyvaerts after being commissioned by Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) with funding from the Per Cent for Art scheme for the N22 development.

The first ancestral sculpture The Bronze Age Girl represents a young female whose remains were found in a burial site during the archaeological works for the N22 development, having been cremated and buried with considerable care and effort at Kilnagurteen about 3,500 years ago.

The second ancestor represents the mythical goddess Áine, who is associated with fertility, abundance, and the midsummer point of the year.

Áine 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.

The mythical goddess Áine.

The bronze age girl is located on the raised verge facing oncoming eastbound traffic in the townland of Carrigaphooca and is lined up to face the Winter Solstice sunset. The sculptures were created in ferro-cement over a mesh and stainless steel framework and include natural pigments distilled from rocks found in the Ballyvourney area.

Welcoming the installation of the artworks, county mayor Frank O’Flynn said the unveiling was also a celebration of the many benefits the bypass has brought to the community, paving the way for future growth, while also looking to the past.

‘Sarah Goyvaerts and her creative team have brought history and myth to life,’ Cllr O’Flynn added. ‘These pieces, not only beautify the landscape, but also serve as a testament to our cultural legacy, marking our relationship to place and keeping our stories alive,’ he said.

The view from the N22.

Sarah Goyvaerts said the sculptures serve as an acknowledgement of the deep ancestral connection and relationship to the land that is at the very core of Múscraí’s cultural creativity and spirit of place. ‘These sculptures are intended as a bridge linking the present day to the past, giving face to the ancestors as a mystical presence held in the landscape.’

This public art project has seen creative engagement with local communities and a podcast series entitled Céimeanna – Tales and Trails.

When making the accompanying podcast Sarah Goyvaerts and Pádraig Ó Duinnín recorded conversations with people in Múscraí with knowledge or stories to tell about the area along the N22 development.

The series is available on the Céimeanna Instagram page and YouTube channels.

Sarah Goyvaerts began focussing on public art in 2016 when she started creating artworks for outdoor spaces. Inspired by her love of the mythical, she quite often depicts otherworldly characters to spark imagination and playfulness. Throughout recent years she has worked on commissions for private collections, festivals, and events, completing her first public artwork in 2022 for Cloughduv National School.