Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the completion of a new public artwork for Balbriggan. The work titled “The Banks” is by Fingal artist Sean Molloy and is located at this prominent coastal site of the same name in the town. The work has been made possible through collaboration with Iarnród Éireann, Balbriggan and the Our Balbriggan team. The project is part of the many initiatives currently underway that demonstrate how art and artists can enliven and celebrate our public spaces.Mayor of Fingal Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh welcoming the artwork said “I wish to express my praise to great partnerships and opportunities that allow for local artists to be showcased prominently in our villages and towns and it perfectly describes how we in Fingal value the arts and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Iarnród Éireann Building Surveyor Joy Murray and her Maintenance Team for all their care and attention applied to realise the install of this work at this unique location. Ms Murray commented: “Iarnród Éireann were delighted to support this Artwork project in conjunction with Fingal County Council which improves the Station Embankment wall presentation for the whole Community”. Sean Molloy’s work is inspired by the genre of 17th and 19th century Dutch and English paintings. Of the process Sean explains:“The original painting measures 5 x 8 ft. and took about 18 months to complete. I referenced the marine paintings of the 17th Dutch masters and also later work by19th century artists. He also cites his very own personal connection to the place: “The history of Balbriggan is an impressive one and while working on location I took the chance to study further the town’s key features. For further research I found the publication ‘Balbriggan, A History of the Millennium’ published by Balbriggan and District Historical Society 1999 a very useful source of information. The Banks is currently on view at the Banks from this month and work continues on another work for the area with another local artist and painter Dave West. Keep up to date with all activities on fingalarts.ie