Outdoor Pursuits in Wicklow
The Devil's Glen and Sculpture in Woodlands
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Features:
- Picnic Site
- Walking Trails
- Viewing Points
- Waymarked Trails
- Special Trees
Only a short distance from Pallas Lodge
Sculpture in Woodland is situated in the beautiful surroundings of the Devil's Glen Wood, Ashford, Co. Wicklow and features a unique collection of contemporary sculpture by Irish and international artists. The project was formed in 1994 with the aim of creating a greater awareness of wood as an artistic and functional medium. Creative artists are facilitated in responding in new ways to the natural environment; in return the artists give the community a rich and diverse range of work, situated in an environment that is very different to a traditional gallery space. Artists are commissioned on an annual basis and to date thirteen sculptures, by both Irish and international artists, have been permanently sited in the Devil's Glen.
This collaboration was described by poet and Nobel prize-winner, Seamus Heaney, as:
"an act of faith in the worth of art itself, an act of commitment to the positive values of form and order and solitary contemplation... I commend again the creative vision... which has made Sculpture in Woodland such a vital part of the world we inhabit as we move towards the millennium." (speaking at the unveiling of Michael Warren's sculpture in the Devil's Glen, November 1998).
The Devil's Glen was chosen as the location for Sculpture in Woodland because of its rich historic, artistic and natural heritage. The Glen was cut out gradually by meltwater during the glacial period and the River Vartry enters at the waterfall. The playwright John Millington Synge spent his summers in nearby Glanmore Castle and in 1828 the painter James Arthur O'Connor captured the brooding qualities of the Glen. In more recent times, poet and Nobel prize-winner Seamus Heaney was influenced by the Glen when writing the Glanmore Sonnets.
The Devil's Glen Wood is owned by Coillte and is fully accessible to the public with car parking, picnic facilities and a variety of forest walks. Access is free and the Glen is open everyday from 9am – 9pm. The Glen consists of both native woodlands and introduced species. In recent years broadleaf planting in the Glen has increased and today, almost 13% of the Glen is planted with broadleaves.
Coillte has been closely involved with Sculpture in Woodland since its inception. In 1995, the company granted Sculpture in Woodland permission to use the 600 acres of the Devil's Glen for the sculptures. This support has continued over the last number of years and Tom Lyng, Wicklow/ Dublin area manager sits on the Sculpture in Woodland executive committee, which deals with areas relating to artistic policy, management and funding.
How to get to the Devil's Glen
Take the N11 heading south from Dublin or north from Wexford and exit at Ashford . At the roundabout in Ashford village, follow the signs for Sculpture in Woodland. In all, the entrance to the glen is about 4km from Ashford.
Sculpture in Woodland is sponsored by: Coillte, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture & Food Arts Council, and Wicklow County Council.
For further information :
Derek Verso,
Executive Director,
Sculpture in Woodland,
c/o Coillte,
Newtownmountkennedy,
Co. Wicklow
Tel: ++353 1 201 1132
Fax: ++353 1 201 1199
Email: sculpinfo@Coillte.ie
Website: www.sculptureinwoodland.ie
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