Wire Man

The Wire Man ( _ga. An Fear Shreang) is the name of a proposed sculpture commissioned by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) in 2007 and designed by Anthony Gormley. [ [http://www.ddda.ie/index.jsp?1nID=93&2nID=94&3nID=105&nID=381&aID=424 DDDA Press Release] ]

According the the DDDA, the sculpture will be up to 48 metres high and as such, upon completion, it is likely to be one of the most significant landmarks in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland.

The sculpture is intended by the DDDA to be "a signpost for the realignment of Dublin’s epicentre eastwards". The DDA's reference to "eastwards" stems from the fact that the sculpture will be located near Seán O’Casey Bridge slightly to the East of the City Centre. It is proposed that the sculpture will rise directly out of the waters of the River Liffey itself.

According to the DDDA, a planning permission application concerning the sculpture is expected to be made during 2008. The "Wire Man" will take approximately eight months to build and will cost in the region of €1.6 million. [ [http://www.ddda.ie/index.jsp?1nID=93&2nID=94&3nID=105&nID=381&aID=424 DDDA Press Release] ]

The "Wire Man" is regarded by many in Dublin as an exciting initiative although it has met with protest from local residents who will be affected by its towering scale. Its designer, Anthony Gormley has said:

"“The work will allude to the human body as a dynamic interconnected matrix evoking the collective body, which is in itself in dynamic relation to the movement of people in the street and across the new Seán O’Casey Bridge.”"

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