Further public art launches as part of the Living Laneway public art series!
LAUNCH OF SCULPTURE ON THE SQUARE AND THE MOSAIC LANEWAY IN ROSCOMMON TOWN
November 2025
On November 15th 2025, Councillor Liam Callaghan, Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, and Roscommon Arts Office welcomed attendees to the Public Art Launch of Sculpture on the Square & The Mosaic Laneway.
These new features highlight Roscommon’s considerable tradition in craftwork and celebrates Roscommon’s local history and rural agricultural community. The group visited both artworks before being welcomed back to Gleesons Restaurant for artist talks, refreshments and ending with a film screening of Roscommon’s Mosaic Tradition.
As part of the extensive regeneration of Roscommon town in recent years, there has been a transformation of the town. In tandem with the regenerative works, Roscommon County Council’s Arts Office have spearheaded a series of new artistic works that support the revitalised community spaces, under the innovative public art programme: ‘Living Laneways’.
Living Laneways, a concept devised by artist Rhona Byrne working with GKMP Architects on the overall public realm project and civic space in the town centre, has enabled artists to respond creatively to Roscommon’s story, history and community and provide visual enhancement to the laneway links approaching the Main Street and Market Square.
Image above: Launch Walking Tour to Sculpture on the Square & The Mosaic Laneway
Image above 1: Artist Chris Judge with his daughters on the Mosaic Laneway
Image above 2: L-R Councillor Liam Callaghan, Cathaoirleach Roscommon County Council; Rhona McGrath, RCC Art Officer; Rhona Byrne, Artist ‘Living Laneways'; Mary Smyth, RCC Public Art & Engagement Coordinator
Image above 1: Crowd gathers in the Mosaic Laneway at the Launch
Image above 2: Chris and Vicky Flynn looking at The Mosaic Laneway
The Mosaic Laneway at Hynes Lane
For generations, Roscommon town has enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for the production of mosaics. That reputation inspired countless shop fronts in Roscommon and neighbouring counties for the uniqueness of these mosaics, a fact celebrated by RTE’s Nationwide programme earlier this year.
Following the footsteps of generations before, the largest commission of the series The Mosaic Laneway by illustrator Chris Judge & Triskell Designs, connects a contemporary style with tributes to the past for a new audience who walks the lane.
Community informed, students from St Comans Wood Primary school and Co. Roscommon Historical & Archaeological Society, among others, engaged in workshops with Chris Judge to establish the elements that should be highlighted in the mosaic’s design.
Images above: St. Comans Wood National School School Engagement sessions with artist
The visuals highlight notable locations and buildings one can visit in Roscommon, local fauna and flora, and celebrates local history with characters of significance such as Aleen Cust, first woman veterinary surgeon in Britain and Ireland who trained in Roscommon, and Lady Betty, an Irish executioner connected with Roscommon’s Old Gaol.
Chris Judge shared, “My father has also made an appearance as one of the figures walking the laneway – he always makes it into the work!”
Images above 1: Aleen Cust, first woman veterinary surgeon in Britain and Ireland who trained in Roscommon
Images above 2: Local figure Irish Executioner connected with Roscommon Gaol 'Lady Betty'
Images above: Chris Judge's father who appears in the work
The background of geometric mosaic patterns pays homage to Roscommon’s unique, internationally significant, mosaic heritage and tradition by referencing examples of wonderful Italian mosaics found throughout Roscommon town.
Chris Judge reflected, “The team at Triskill and I feel very honoured to have been chosen to create this mosaic for the people of Roscommon town. It is both a celebration and a remembrance of generations of people who have called it their home. Designed through a series of community workshops with local groups, it carries the voices and creativity of many hands. Together, we explored patterns, colours, and stories that reflect the history of the lane—a pathway walked for centuries by workers, families, and visitors. We were thrilled to discover the rich history of mosaics in Roscommon town, particularly the work of Luciano Di Paulo, Sergio Benedetti, and John Crean, and we referenced some of their designs in ours. Laura Earley's book, ‘Artistic Mosaics in the West of Ireland,’ was an invaluable resource as we designed the artworks. The mosaic weaves these traces of the past into a vibrant artwork that honours the footsteps of those before, while welcoming new ones yet to come.”
All commissions in this programme went through a competitive assessment process and were considered by a wide selection of local voices, including student representatives from three of the local secondary schools. There were also many other locals who helped with informing the artworks and whom supported the delivery and installations of the projects.
Arts Officer Rhona McGrath commented: “Public Art’s value is in how it connects with people, events and places, creating positive relationships, linkages and collaborations between artists, commissioners and local communities.”
Sculpture on the Square
The town centre’s new feature Held Together / Á Choimeád le Chéile by Simon Carmen & Dr. Helen Sharp is a playful tribute to Roscommon’s deep agricultural roots, inspired by a simple coil of baling twine. A bronze sculpture hand-finished with layers of vivid blue patina it celebrates farming, ingenuity, creativity and resilience. With a circular form that not only echoes ancient crafts it also cleverly acts as a visual lens framing everyday snapshots of the town and its architecture. The title adds another dimension, creatively linking the importance of a connected community which resonated strongly with the assessment panel.
Dr. Helen Sharp expressed their delight at returning to the town, “On a previous residency at Roscommon Arts Centre in 2015, a local farmer mentioned a phrase that had since stuck with me. He felt his life was “held together with twine’. When this commission came up, I was immediately reminded of it and imagined the simplicity of the shape and colour would work harmoniously in the revitalised square, which also has many blue colour references!”
Simon Carmen, shared, “We come from a farming background ourselves, working with horses. It felt like a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the quiet creativity and resilience of the agricultural community”.
At the launch Simon described the process of making the work, combining bronze casting with modern technologies. Beginning with a 3D scan of a small piece of rolled twine, a large-scale replica was made where wax and bronze casting could begin. Sections were then cut to create an internal structure, which were re-moulded together before hand-finished in layers of blue patina.
“Roscommon has always inspired us,” said Dr. Helen Sharp, adding: “This sculpture is our way of giving something back, a celebration of the people, the place, and the stories that hold it all together.”
Roscommon’s Mosaic Tradition
The launch event concluded with a screening of Roscommon’s Mosaic Tradition, a short documentary funded by the Heritage Council.Roscommon County Council Heritage and Arts Office commissioned the film in collaboration with local Roscommon businessman, Liam Stephens. Filmed by PureDesigns, it features insights on Roscommon’s unique mosaic heritage that has been synonymous with the town for generations and features contributions from locals who worked in the industry including: Tom Kilroe, Sergio Benedetti, Patsy Flanagan, Benny Mulhern, and many more who contributed photos. Available: https://youtu.be/NnTnBbCQyZI?si=6jcdeTuRb1r6sqgM
Images above: Screening of Roscommon's Mosaic Tradition at launch
Images above: Images collected by Liam Stephens and Meadhbh Brosnan from people who worked in the local industry on display at the launch
Local Liam Stephens, whose uncle and father worked in a later mosaic company, spoke to the local industry in his opening words. Followed by Meadhbh Brosnan, a mosaic maker, educator and member of the mosaic association of Ireland, who noted Roscommon’s international mosaic legacy. They are now asking the public for contributions on the local industry.
Roscommon County Council also announced they have opened a Citizen Scientist Roscommon Mosaic Mapping page which allows the public to submit information, images and pin locations of the many examples of mosaics around the county.
Mary Smyth, Public Art & Engagement Coordinator, noted, “Public art can inspire people to find out more about their local place. Following on from The Mosaic Laneway, which highlights local places and people of interest, we hope this mapping project will act as a resource and assist people to further engage and explore Roscommon’s mosaics.”
Funding
These commissions were funded through the Per Cent for Art scheme as part of the overall Roscommon Town Main Street and Market Square Public Realm Project, under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.
This is Government funding specifically for the arts. For any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development, this scheme allows local councils to drawdown an additional fund of up to 1% of the cost of the project ring-fenced to the commissioning of original works of art by living artists. It’s a significant scheme for artists to develop and create new and ambitious work.
Roscommon’s Public Art Programme has been active since 1989. Each year, in response to capital programmes and funding, Roscommon County Council Arts Office issues commissioning opportunities for locations across the county. Local, regional, national and international artists are invited to apply. Each completed commission enhances the county’s collection of public art and strengthens the identity of each place and creating new reasons to explore. Where the artist is inspired by, and the art informed by, the locale and the community.
This public art launch followed earlier commissions in the series The Poetry Laneway and The Bee Lane.
The Poetry Laneway on Chapel Lane
Last April on National Poetry Day 2024, The Poetry Laneway was unveiled on Chapel Lane. New site-specific poetry is displayed night and day in lightboxes, honouring the county’s enduring literary traditions and echoing the immense history of the lane.
Project curator Dani Gill organised specially commissioned poems by three contemporary poets, Jane Clarke, Louise G. Cole and Dani Gill. The project themes evolved when Dani met with Marian Harlow, a member of the Co. Roscommon Historical & Archaeological Society who shared some significant details and history of this laneway. Poems include references to the history of the laneway, the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy to Roscommon town and in particular the work they did for and with women, and the story of the origins of Roscommon town with St. Coman’s Well / Dubach Chomai. Musician & composer Phil Robson collaborated with the writers, creating a custom music composition responding to each poem, available by scanning the QR code located on each box.
The Bee Lane at Alleé de Chartrettes
The Arts Office team hopes to continue adding creativity to the town lanes through other funding, with A Bee’s Eye View of a Wild-flower Meadow funded under the Creative Ireland Programme. One of the town’s busiest laneways connecting the town square to the car park, the brief asked for something which would transform the space into a playful, imaginative and contemporary experience. Pedestrians are now transported into a surreal, immersive experience with a magical world of wildflowers in ultraviolet colours (colours that are visible to bees and other pollinators). A series of busy scenes printed on large-scale aluminium panels by artist Graham Reid, the works highlight the unseen beauty and complexity of plants, while also emphasising the importance of pollinators in Ireland’s ecosystem.
To see more on Roscommon’s Public Art Programme visit: Roscommon's Public Art
For any queries contact Mary Smyth, Public Art & Engagement Coordinator on msmyth@roscommoncoco.ie
