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The Fid - friend or folly?
08.09.09
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MOVILLE’S emigrant
spire - The Fid - designed by Derry artist Locky |
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Morris, was
unveiled last Wednesday on a day of great fanfare
and celebration at the town's old stone pier. The
monument, designed to reflect Moville's maritime
history and to symbolise the beacon of flames lit
for emigrants on the hills around Lough Foyle, has
created a lot of debate and pub talk in the town. InishowenNews.com's Linda McGrory went for another
look at the weekend and asked people what they
really thought of the new attraction. |
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Joanne Beckett
from Bredagh Glen, Moville, works in sales and
marketing in Derry. |
"I think the Fid is
amazing. It's fabulous and I think it should have
been done a long time ago. As it is made out of one
solid piece of oak, it's like having a tree
permanently at the end of the pier."
Martin Beckett, Bredagh Glen, is married to
Joanne and is an |
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artist and retail
designer working in Carndonagh.
"I love it. It is Moville's own spire and gives the
impression that it is pointing out to sea. It is
also nice that it can be seen from a number of
different vantage points and it's very tactile. You
can also see the spire of a local church from the
same spot so it's like they are reflecting each
other in some way. I think people will see something
different every time they come here to see it and
that is what art is all about. It means different
things to different people." |
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Cara McNally
lives in Mill Glen, Moville, with her husband and
baby son. |
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"It's a nice piece of
wood but I don't know if I would pay €50,000 for it.
Nevertheless, it is a lovely piece of art and it's
in a nice spot."
John McGuinness grew up near the old stone
pier and now lives in Greencastle. |
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"I think it's nice but
I would have liked if Donegal County Council had
taken the project a step further and dredged the
pier to create a few berths so that the quay could
be used again for what it was originally designed
for. I'm not sure how the Fid signifies emigration
but it is reflective of Moville's maritime history.
I do like the design though - it's simple and it's
something different." |
Brian McKeag is
from Belfast. He has a holiday mobile home near
Benone beach, Co Derry, and is a regular visitor to
Greencastle where his sister owns a holiday home.
"The writing on the plaque is far too small to read.
It's bad enough for me and my eyesight is not that
bad. I would imagine the elderly will have great
bother reading it. I like the monument - it's
unusual and eye-catching but they would really need
to put up a better railing at the end of the pier so
young children don't fall into the water. They had
all the hard work done but they made the railing far
too low." |
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Tony Reynolds is a member of Foyle Rowing
Club which now shares Moville pier with the town's
newest tourist attraction. |
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"It's definitely a
curiosity and a lot of people have been coming to
see it which can only be good for the town if that
continues. But in my opinion, it was not worth the
money spent on it. They say between €50,000 and
€100,000 was spent on the project from start to
finish. That money could have been better spent
locally. For example, we (the rowing club) have been
looking for a water tap from the Council for the
last 18 months. |
We need the water to
clean the sand out of the boats. But we have been
told it will cost us around €380 a year and the club
just can't afford that money. €50,000 would go a
very long way to help local clubs and committees
like ours."
To see photos of the Fid launch
click here . |
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