PEACE FOR ALL

1999

AGHALANE, BELTURBET,
(Border of Northern Ireland),
Co. CAVAN,
IRELAND

Two Bronze figures,
Plinth polished white granite with hand cut letters by the Artist .

3m high


The Story

1998 Shortlisted and commissioned by Cavan County Council who held an open competition for a public sculpture to commemorate the reopening of the bridge known as the Eniskillen Bridge ,  a link to the North and the  ' official ' start of the 'peace talks ' between Ireland and England .  Comprising of two larger than life size bronze figures  titled  PEACE FOR ALL and mounted on a polished granite replica of a  ' above ground tomb '. The Eniskillen Bridge renamed Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge . PEACE FOR ALL was erected in 1999.

The Press


PEACE FOE ALL sculpture unvailed .


Kildare Nationalist, Friday, January 7th, 2000


 DAF began his year by creating a  sculpture titled PEACE FOR ALL in bronze which stands on the border of the Republic and the North as a permanent testament to the Northern Ireland peace initiative.


This is the heart-warming story which appeared in the Nationalist issue of January 8 1999 and provided a positive outlook for the year ahead.


A sculpture by self taught artist DAF will stand on the border as a permanent testament to the Northern Ireland peace initiative.


DAF, was commissioned by Cavan County Council to sculpt the piece entitled ‘Peace for All’.  He won his commission through a competition that Caven County Council held to commentate the reopening of the bridge link and the start of  ' The Peace Talks '. The striking work for all to see will be sited adjacent to a new bridge which will link County Cavan with County Fermanagh.


The bridge, which is on one of the main arteries to the North was blown up some years ago but has now been rebuilt and renamed in honour of  American peace broker Senator George Mitchell.


The bridge will be officially opened in February and the sculpture will be unveiled at the same time. A smaller replica of the sculpture which depicts two figures embracing has already been presented to Senator Mitchell and other copies are being made for display in The White House of America, the Dail , Republic government  and Stormont , Northern government .

The sculpture shows a man with a sword falling from his hand with a shield protecting the woman and is , symbolic of Mother Ireland who looks towards the sky. The sculpture is mounted on a polished granite plinth carved in the likeness of the tombs above ground which are to be found in cemeteries through out Ireland . A native of  Dublin ,  DAF's work is well known throughout the country and this will be his seventh public monument in Ireland . He has cast over 250 plus bronze works to date apart from the amount of stone both here and abroad he has carved . DAF is humble about his achievements and this information came to me by a third party.