The artist who created Letterkenny’s Polestar monument has said he stills gets a buzz every times he drivers past it as the iconic structure received yet another ‘stamp’ of approval.
The structure has been immortalised by An Post on a new postage stamp as part of four Irish structures featuring in its new Public Art stamp series.
Artist Locy Morris, from Derry, told the BBC that the erection of the Polestar in 2006 wasn’t straight-forward and was somewhat controversial.
Costing about €100,000, the construction is made from 104 timber poles and stands at a height of 12m.
Its shape alludes to the outline of a boat, as well as having a train track theme, to commemorate the fact that both forms of transportation played a major part in the town’s development in the past.
Mr Morris recalled “I was absolutely panicking at the time as right up to the last minute I wasn’t sure if the final section was going to slot in.
“The installation happened in the early hours of a Saturday morning. It was 3am, we were stopping traffic, there was lots of people around as they were coming out of the discos.
“There was a lot of excitement.”
And he admitted that the price of the monument at the time was also an issue for some people.
He added “There were radio phone-ins, people saying the money should be spent on other things.
“Public art is difficult, but I do think art is supposed to divide opinion
“You do have to develop a thick skin. But the Polestar went on to become very popular, so I’ve been very lucky.
“People still stop me about it and you do get a warm feeling from that.
“As the years have gone, I became really appreciative that I was given the opportunity to build it.
“I still get a buzz when I drive past it.”
A spokesperson for An Post said: “The ‘Per Cent for Art’ scheme has been an important initiative for over 45 years, bringing art into the public sphere.
“This series of stamps proudly introduces an even wider public to major Irish artworks by important artists.”
