Obelisk sculpture plan approved for Burgess Park

Photo: A view of the new obelisk sculpture planned for Burgess Park.

Burgess Park is to get a new obelisk sculpture, thanks to the Stepping Out programme attached to the National Learning Network.

Standing two metres high, the obelisk in white concrete will be dedicated to family and friends of those who have lost their lives in the River Shannon.

At Monday's monthly meeting of Athlone-Moate Municipal District, members approved the installation of the new structure which will have a viewing hole at eye level of either Athlone Castle or St Peter and Paul's Church.

Each of the four sides has plaques bearing different messages such as emergency helpline numbers, a poem composed by the Stepping Out participants, a dedication, and list of sponsors, Cllr Frankie Keena said.

The aim of the Stepping Out programme is to increase opportunities for employment, increase access to further education and provide social and life skills development for offenders who have been before the courts and placed under the supervision of the Probation Service as well as those at risk of committing offences and those who have been released from custody.

As Chairperson of Athlone Drugs Awareness Group, Cllr Keena said he is delighted to support this project with a donation given the good work they do with people in terms of rehabilitation.

“I would like to compliment Jim McNamee, Neil Flannery and their team for delivering on this project. The Athlone Drug Awareness Group is delighted to have made a contribution towards this project as part of their annual work plan which is funded by the Midland Regional Drug & Alcohol Taskforce. I am also aware of other funding organisations who helped out,” he added afterwards.

Seconding Cllr Keena's proposal at the monthly meeting, Athlone's Mayor Cllr Aengus O'Rourke commented that the new obelisk sculpture will be a great addition to Burgess Park.

As pictured, an obelisk is an upright four-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid. They were originally built by the Egyptians at the entrance to their temples.

The world's tallest obelisk is the Washington Monument built to honour the first President of the United States, George Washington, in 1884. Made of granite, it is 16.8 metres square at the base and 554 feet 7 inches (169 metres) high and weighs an estimated 91,000 tons.