A Twist of Twine, new sculpture on the square ties Roscommon’s heritage past to its future

Roscommon Town’s newly redeveloped Market Square last week welcomed a striking new addition to its civic landscape with the unveiling of Held Together, a large-scale bronze sculpture by acclaimed artists Simon Carman and Dr. Helen Sharp.

Inspired by a simple coil of baling twine, Held Together / Á Choimeád le Chéile is a playful tribute to Roscommon’s deep agricultural roots. Hand-finished with layers of a vibrant blue patina, the county town now has a feature of its own that stands proudly in the heart of the square, offering a fresh perspective on the everyday objects that bind rural life. The work also references seasonality through its association with hay and straw production – the heart of ancient and modern livestock farming in Roscommon and other rural communities.

“This piece is about resilience, ingenuity, and the quiet creativity of farming life,” said artist Simon Carman. “Inspired by a phrase we heard by a local farmer ‘sure it’s only held together with twine’. We wanted to create something that felt familiar and joyful. Something that would make people smile.”

The sculpture’s circular form not only echoes ancient crafts but also cleverly acts as a visual lens, framing everyday snapshots of the town and its architecture and inviting passersby to see Roscommon anew and take pictures together in the area. Its vibrant colour and organic shape sit harmoniously within the newly revitalised square, blending elegantly tradition with modern flair.

Commissioned through a competitive assessment process, where 24 national and international artists applied. The assessment included representatives from Roscommon Tidy Towns, the Chamber of Commerce, Roscommon Town Team, and students from the three town’s secondary schools, ensuring the final artwork was considered by a wide selection of local voices.

The artists have been working on this technically complex piece for over a year, having started by engaging with the community and local artists with an informal presentation of the concept at Roscommon Arts Centre on Saturday 13th July 2024, as part of its regular Artist Café series.

Funded through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund as part of the overall Roscommon Town Main Street and Market Square Public Realm Project. The artistic elements of the project are funded under the government’s Per Cent for Art Scheme (https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/per-cent-for-art/) whereby 1% of the cost of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development can be allocated to the commissioning of a work of art. Previous commissions as part of this allocation have included the Poetry Laneway (Chapel Lane) and the partly completed Mosaic Laneway (Hynes Lane).