Sliabh Beagh Arts and the local community of The Knocks area of Fermanagh have been left devastated following the wanton destruction of artworks that were displayed along the Lough Lea Arts Trail.
Artworks which formed part of the Sliabh Beagh Arts trail were vandalised over the weekend.
A number of artworks ranging from cellograff murals and painted wind chimes to barrels with plasma-cut designs and wooden sculptures, created by members of the local community, including children, were damaged beyond repair.
Artworks which formed part of the Sliabh Beagh Arts trail were vandalised over the weekend.
Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Donna Bannon, Arts Co-ordinator at Sliabh Beagh Arts, who had curated the trail, discussed the community’s shock over the vandalism.
“It’s just awful. It’s so disappointing – we’re really upset about it,” she said, adding: “We have no idea who did it, but we think it was done probably within the last two weeks.
Artworks which formed part of the Sliabh Beagh Arts trail were vandalised over the weekend.
“We went down and all the stuff was wrecked. All the cellograff [murals] had been ripped or punched through, and some of the wooden sculptures had been uprooted and thrown in the lake and the gulley.
Artworks which formed part of the Sliabh Beagh Arts trail were vandalised over the weekend.
“The plasma barrels were squished, and some of them thrown in the lake. We managed to get them back out of the lake, but it was an awful job,” she explained, noting that for her, the most disappointing thing was the damage done to the wind chimes created by children.
Artworks which formed part of the Sliabh Beagh Arts trail were vandalised over the weekend.
“They were literally ripped off the trees, and I can’t find half of them,” Donna added.
Aside from the damage to the arts trail, there was also a fire started outside the Knocks Community Hall.
“There was a tyre set alight underneath a wooden gazebo/bandstand,” said Donna, adding that they are uncertain if it was the same person or people who had caused the damage along the art trail.
Artworks which formed part of the Sliabh Beagh Arts trail were vandalised over the weekend.
“It was all done around the same time, so it probably was the same [person or people] that did both.”
Thankfully, the fire was put out before the structure caught fire.
“They saved it – a neighbour across the road maybe saw the fire and put it out before it burnt the whole wooden structure. It’s just awful,” she said.
However, despite the devastation, Donna and Sliabh Beagh Arts are determined not to let this stop their work in the community. “It wouldn’t put me off doing it again, but I would most definitely have to put up some sort of security system for it,” she told this newspaper.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here