James McLoughlin Blog
Woodcarving World Championships In Dongyang China
Woodcarving World Championships in Dongyang City China. I was delighted t be asked t represent Ireland in this competition. Got t meet Carvers from all over the globe with different styles what a great experience. Thank you to all involved.
Irish honour Jutland dead with memorial dedicated 102 years after titanic clash of battleships
One hundred and two years after the greatest naval battle of the modern era fought in European waters, the people of Cobh in southern Ireland unveiled a memorial to their Jutland dead.
Twenty sailors from the town – then known as Queenstown when the country was part of the British Empire – died in the enormous clash between British and German men o’war in the North Sea, a fraction of the 350 Irishmen killed in the battle.
Cobh was a key harbour for both merchant and warships; it was the final port of call for the Titanic before her fateful voyage across the Atlantic, it was the reception point for survivors and the dead from the torpedoed liner Lusitania, and in the second half of the WW1, was a major base in the fight against the U-boat.
The biggest single blow was delivered by the Battle of Jutland on May 31/June 1 1916 – the failure of the Royal Navy to destroy the German Fleet and the heavy loss of life severely impacted on public morale.
The Jutland Memorial Society has spent several years campaigning/fundraising to erect an 8ft obelisk as a monument not just to the 20 Cobh men lost at Jutland, but all locals who died in the Great War at sea.
Having raised nearly £6,000, the memorial was installed in the Bible Garden of the Benedictine Nuns, overlooking the harbour.
Irish Artist’s New Figurative Sculpture Speaks Nearly Seven Feet of Musical Homage
Artist James McLoughlin offers life-sized Lord of Music sculpture and, with it, helps to rejuvenate what’s nearly lost in today’s art forms.
Cobh, Cork, Ireland - October 31, 2017 - Carved from one block of Spalted Beech, the newly offered sculpture from James McLoughlin does what it came to do - create awe. A six-and-a-half-foot tall male embodiment of all things melodic, The Lord of Music life-sized sculpture is described as a “figurative and ornamental masterpiece.” It’s easy to see why. Careful to inspire reverence for classical renaissance sculpture, the piece steps out of the box. Think, a musically fluent god who sports 70s style rock gear while being chained to harmony personified. This is The Lord of Music now for sale.
Now on exhibit at Cork Airport, the classical approach of the sculpture brings to mind the traditional. Using Limewood, the ornament carving includes a guitar, violin and bow, recorder, clarinet, and an African drum united by varied foliage. Carved lilies represent humility and devotion to the art of music, the apple is symbolic of abundance, the pear is immortality. A skull speaks of nonconformity, free-thinking, and rebelliousness. Carved around the violin a chain locks the instruments close to the figure’s body and stands for the chained melody. Lastly, an unfinished book awaits the carving of new owner’s favorite song.
Sonia O Sullivan Statue
Sunday was a very proud day for the people of Cobh, celebrating our finest athlete Sonia O'Sullivan. We know she will inspire many generations to come. Thank you to Cobh Tourism for their hard work and dedication and I want to especially thank the people of Cobh for embracing this project.
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