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LAST UPDATE | 22 Jun 2022
THE MUCH DISPUTED Púca of Ennistymon has been installed in its new home in the Burren, after it was turned away by locals in the Co Clare town.
It has been moved near the village of Carron after an application by the Michael Cusack exhibition centre commemorating the GAA founder was successful.
Plans to place the statue in Ennistymon were scrapped in January after controversy and objections from locals, including a parish priest denouncing the statue during a mass.
Clare County Council then decided to seek expressions of interest from other communties in north Clare to host the two-metre tall bronze artwork.
The statue’s creator, Aidan Harte, is pleased that the Púca finally has its place. “I can now get on my life. It’s a huge relief, aside from having it open to everyone, it’s just been kind of all-consuming because it’s seemed to have trundled on for for months.”
His creation inspired “songs, cartoons, lads getting tattoos, all sorts” as debate raged in Ennistymon over whether or not to accept the Púca.
Very fortunate to have happened upon the arrival of #pucapucaismiseanpuca in @michaelcusackcentre in Carran Co Clare today. Ennistymon's loss is Carran and The Burren's huge gain. Bravo @HarteAidan . This sculpture is class! pic.twitter.com/T7GDy9s08o
— Yvonne Croke (@Galwayflyer) June 22, 2022
“I have a pretty thick skin and like I trained in Florence where my teachers were, you know, very hardcore. They would like break you down to build you up.
“So I’m used to it, and I don’t say that the sculpture a great piece or anything like that; it’s certainly as good as I can make the sculpture and it was what I intended it to be.”
The €30,000 commission for the statue formed part of a project to improve attractions for Ennistymon and to enhance the appearance of the town.
Fáilte Ireland allocated €500,000 towards the now nearly completed capital project, with the local authority providing an additional 25% match funding.
The council confirmed last month that two applications from Michael Cusack Centre and the Ballyvaughan Community Development Group presented their case for hosting the artwork to an independent panel of judges.
The Michael Cusack Centre won out and will host the Púca by the thatched cottage where Cusack was born during the Famine.
It’s a fitting place, according to Harte, as the centre has strong connections to the Gaelic Revival of the 1800s and will lend itself well to the interpretations around the Púca.
“It’s a wild place and he’s a wild thing,” he said.
“Different counties have different views of him. In Westmeath he’s a snail and in Roscommon he’s an eagle, but he’s best known as this horse-like figure and this creature of chaos.
“He’s kind of solitary fairy who plays by his own rules. Is he good or is he bad? He’s neither: he’s just wildly inconsistent like the rest of us.”
What he believes has been a positive throughout the outrage, is that more people have been introduced to Irish folklore. “It intriguing to a lot of people and is untapped, I think.”
Among the proposals from the Michael Cusack Centre are for an annual Samhain/Púca Storytelling Festival on November 1st to celebrate new beginnings and the potential with a programme of events ranging from the academic to children’s art.
Harte, who is from Kilkenny, previously worked with his native county’s animation studio Cartoon Saloon before moving towards solo work as a sculptor.
For this Saturday’s official launch at 12pm in The Burren, he is is encouraging people “to come along, rub the Púca’s toe and see what happens”.
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I think it’s deadly. Your loss Ennistymon.
@Dearbhla O Reilly: exactly …. It’s pure class.
Fair play to you Harte and fair play to the people of Carron; by and by, some of the worlds best loved art works weren’t universally liked when they were first unveiled so you’re in good company.
It’s a class piece of work. Fair play. The “priest” brought it up at mass….. we are still listening to them:-( Move on. With about 700 religions around the world set up to prey on the vulnerable we are still afraid to stand up to ours. Hopefully the next generation will have zero subserviency to them and grow up with no impression instilled in them
@Niall Gannon: Such bollixology doesn’t become you. €30k of tax payer’s money to produce works of art like that? And the cost keeps rising, due to relocation etc; Hope there’s no Mica in the Púca. Should be sent to Poulaphuca and be drowned!! Most modern day “artists” I know, couldn’t draw the dole!!
@Sean O Callaghan: jealous much?
@Sean O Callaghan: wow…everyone’s an art critic and then there’s you…relax boy…don’t be such a philistine!
@Sean O Callaghan: how many do you know
@Niall Gannon: what has this article got to do with religion? You say the “priest” brought it up at mass, and you go on an anti religion rant, why are you going to mass if you don’t agree with it?, what are you, seven years old?
@Julian King: I don’t think he was at mass when the priest brought it up.
Most people would know that one of the things that started the controversy was PP Fr Willie Cummins denouncing it from the altar at Sunday Mass.
Apparently he decribed it as ‘sinister’.
I believe Fr Cummins has since been relocated back to the 17 century.
@Julian King: the priest denounced the statue and all of a sudden ” we don’t want the statue here”. Hopefully my sons generation do not have to deal with this crap from men in robes who have no life skills. The sooner the better the church is done here the better imo.
It has already taken on a life of its own.
Very much like the legend.
The fact that it caused so much debate is testemony to its briilance. Imho
It’s something different, I wouldn’t mind getting a present of it.
It’s a magnificent sculpture absolutely stunning.
It’s pure class I think it’s a lovely piece ,I’m willing to bet a small portion of my wages that a small group of probably retired gossipers who have been allocated too much power in the community of Ennistymon are responsible for this bad decision and the people of Carron will forever be grateful for this gift.
@old rusty 1: ageist
A stunning piece of art.
if we start hunting withes like in the middle ages then .. maybe the next victims sould be the leprechauns whose images are sold all around ireland to swarms of tourists : mugs, tshirts, key rings etc etc .. they are quite more famous that this poor Puca ! Bravo to the town which agreed to welcome this statue which remembers all of us that myths are the founding fathers of all civilisations !
Delighted it has found a home, I love the movement and style it has.
The days of some priest denouncing from the pulpit are well over. Shame on you Willie Cummins
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