A campaign group has been established to erect a statue in Strandhill in honour of the late Paul Rennick.
Paul, who died in tragic circumstances in Melbourne. Australia, in August 2011, was well known in the seaside village as a surfer and watersports enthusiast and for his fundraising efforts, which included a charity paddle from Strandhill to Rosses Point.
Now a Sligo sculptor has created a virtual design for a massive statue of Paul, holding a surf board, which could sit on the currently empty plinth on the seafront at Strandhill. A sculpture which stood on the plinth has been taken away by Sligo County Council for repairs.
Sculptor Philip Brett has come up with the design on behalf of the Paul Rennick Memorial Sculpture Group. “As a local artist and a close friend of Paul, I felt that it was within my ability to capture and express the sentiment with the sensitivity necessary for such an emotional and cathartic project.
“The Surfer Project proposes to create a life-size figurative bronze sculpture of a local surf lifesaver and charity worker. The site of the proposed Art-work is significant for its context within the community; in Strandhill on the beach promenade where Paul worked and spent most of his time with the community.”
The design team consists of two artists – Philip, who came up with the 3D rendering of the statue and metalsmith Mirjam Schiller who would oversee the creation of the sculpture at Cast Foundry Cast Ltd. in Dublin.
The group are now beginning a fundraising drive to commission the piece which they hoped would be matched with public funding from a number of different sources, including mental health organisations.
For more on the statue, search “The Surfer, Paul Rennick” on Facebook.
Following Paul’s death, the positive mental health through activities charity Rennafix Group was set up in his honour in 2012. It organises regular activities designed to promote positive mental health.
Proposal to erect statue in memory of Sligo surfer Paul,
