Bog Oak Tree

We had a new delivery in the Atrium of the TSSG building in Carriganore this week in the form of a very curious looking, but very interesting tree.

Over the course of the entire day (Friday), we looked on with interest as the sculptor carved, chiseled, sanded, rubbed and carefully caressed the tree into place. It stands approximately 30ft tall and is mostly black in colour.

I spoke briefly with the gentleman in question on my way home and he told me a little more about it. The sculpture is made from Bog Oak that was salvaged from a local bog some years ago. It has been Carbon Dated by the National Museum of Ireland and officially recognised to be over 7500 years old.

He has also moulded some other (even older) timbers and animal bones (yes, animal bones) into sections of the tree. Along with the scratch marks of deer antlers (painted in gold), it is utterly beautiful and truly something to behold.

The sculptor was a local man called Seamus Kelly and we are very grateful for his talents as we now have something very interesting to inspire us on those days we all have from time to time.


2 thoughts on “Bog Oak Tree”

  1. James, your comments on the bog oak tree sculpture by Seamus Kelly is interesting, i,ve recently moved near the the Bog of Allen and have become fasinated by bog oak, a local farmer gave me a piece and since then i’ve gone hunting for bog oak in the bog and eventually found a good portion of a tree, which my neighbour kinkly helped me to extract from the bog. I,m fascinated by how old it is, how dark the wood is and the beauty that the bog and time have brought out. excuse my ignorance but where is carriganore.

  2. Paul,

    Carriganore is an area located approximately 3 miles outside Waterford City, Ireland. It is home to the Telecommunications Research division of Waterford Institiute of Technology (ArcLabs).

    The institute actually owns several hundred acres of land in the area and have extensive plans for further academic development.

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