A three-part sculpture of Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology, has taken flight from Citywest in Dublin and ended up in Co Kildare.
The triptych (three-part) sculpture became one of the best-known works of art in Ireland on account of its location outside Independent Newspapers’ printing plant on the Naas Road in Dublin.
The life-size bronze horses mounted on steel columns were a familiar sight to tens of thousands of motorists on one of the country’s busiest roads.
But Pegasus recently vanished, without fanfare, leaving behind empty plinths.
Each of the metal horses weighs half a ton. The first statue shows the horse; in the second, the horse has sprouted wings; while the third statue depicts the winged horse about to take flight.
Pegasus, made by the late sculptor Conor Fallon 15 years ago, was commissioned by Sir Anthony O’Reilly, who was then a major shareholder in Independent News & Media.
The triptych was moved recently to the K Club hotel and golf resort in Straffan, Co Kildare, and has been relocated on the lawn in front of the hotel, no longer raised on plinths.
It is believed it was bought by the K Club’s owner, Michael Smurfit, in a private transaction.
During the late 20th century, Sir Anthony and Dr Smurfit were two of the best known and wealthiest businessmen in Ireland. Both will celebrate their 80th birthdays this year. They both amassed major art collections.
Art dispersal
The flight of Pegasus is the latest evidence of the dispersal of the O’Reilly art collection, once the biggest and most valuable private collection in Ireland.
Last week, some paintings and sculptures from the collection were sold, discreetly, at auction in England. But the whereabouts of much of Sir Anthony’s art collection, including a work by French impressionist Claude Monet, is not known.
For more than a decade, Pegasus was a landmark sight on the Naas Road. But because of the location, overlooking six busy lanes of speeding traffic, it was difficult to observe the sculpture closely.
Its new location in the K Club is likely to draw visitors.
Fallon was born in Dublin in 1939 and grew up in Co Wexford, where his father, the poet Padraic Fallon, worked as a civil servant. The sculptor, who was a member of Aosdána, died in 2007.
