Hopes city sculpture can be cleaned up

It’s hoped a sculpture described as being badly defaced on the southside of Cork city can be cleaned up and refurbished.

A motion calling for the refurbishment and enhancement of the John Burke sculpture located behind the grotto beside the pier in Blackrock has been submitted to officials in City Hall.

The motion from Green Party Cllr Honore Kamegni asks Cork City Council to support the cleaning, repainting, and physical restoration of the sculpture, alongside the installation of a plaque bearing the artist’s name and biographical information to honour his legacy.

Speaking on his motion, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork said: “It is badly defaced and needs to be cleaned up and repainted and information provided as to its artistic provenance. Our public spaces should be better than this.

“Instead of art, we have graffiti and vandalism. We can do better and I hope the council will remedy the situation as soon as possible.”

John Burke, born in Clonmel in 1946, was a pioneering sculptor and a founding member of Aosdána. Overcoming early challenges including dyslexia, Burke found his voice at the Crawford Municipal School of Art before advancing to the Royal College of Art in London, where he studied under influential British sculptors Anthony Caro and Bryan Kneale. His bold welded steel works were exhibited in major cities including Munich, Brussels, London, and New York.

Cllr Kamegni stressed that recognition and preservation of public artworks like Burke’s are vital to building cultural awareness and pride across Cork.

“It’s about showing that we value artists, that we value our public spaces, and that we value Blackrock as a place where culture and community meet,” he added.