Sir, – I’m not at all surprised that the sculpture of a soldier in St Stephen’s Green was vandalized with red paint, given that Dublin was the only city to vandalise the Chicago Cow Parade art on its world tour some years back. And this in a city happy to tolerate some of the ugliest Irish historical monuments. I don’t accept it as an anti-British protest. The theme of the work is universal. The vandalism was a cowardly desecration of work created by Slovakian artist Martin Galbavy and constructed over three months in a Dorset forge by Chris Hannam.
Perhaps if we could better respect public art in this country there might be more of it. – Yours, etc,
ROSEMARIE NOONE,
Claremorris Gallery
Co Mayo.
Sir, – The response to the paint attack on the Hauntings Soldier should lead to a permanent copy of the work to remember the Irish victims of the 1914-1918 bloodbath.
The memorial, which has been visited by thousands over the past few weeks, could be installed permanently on the same spot in St Stephen’s Green. Maybe the act of vandalism could have been prevented with surveillance cameras, flood-lighting and vigilance. The memory of our lost dead deserves better. – Yours, etc,
TOM RYAN,
Churchtown, Dublin 14.