Thomas Dambo, one of the world's best-known recycling artists, has installed four massive troll sculptures made from recycled materials on the Sperrin Mountains in Co Tyrone and Co Derry.
Dambo, a 44-year-old Danish sculptor, has become known for his Trail of a Thousand Trolls project, which consists of more than 100 large, recycled wood sculptures installed all over the world.
In Northern Ireland, Dambo has erected four sculptures, commissioned by McGurk Architects Derry City and Strabane District Council, which together form The Three Giants and the Campfires in the Sky on the Giants of the Sperrins Sculpture Trail.
The project is funded under the Rural Tourism Scheme of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and the European Union and in partnership with Derry City & Strabane District Council, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, and Mid Ulster District Council.
Nowanois 1 and Nowanois 2 -The Storytellers
Nowanois is a heartfelt tribute to the tradition of storytelling and the custodians of our rich heritage. The elder Nowanois points to the sky, sharing tales with his younger self about the stars and ancestors who marveled at the heavens, evident in local prehistoric features like Goles Stone Row. This depiction mirrors the age-old tradition of passing folklore, songs, and heritage through generations by word of mouth.
Located at 274 Glenelly Road, Omagh, BT79 8LS (Site of the former Sperrin Heritage Centre). Parking on site. Follow gravel path from car park.
Nowanois - The StoryTellers in Glenelly Valley. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Darach - The Guardian
Darach stands as a testament to the Sperrins’ ecology and landscape. As an eco-champion, Darach welcomes visitors with open arms, inviting them to gaze upon, reflect upon, and care for the land. Encircled by a ring of stones that she herself carried to the summit, Darach pays homage to the enduring local tradition of generations carrying stones to mountaintop cairns. This practice, celebrated annually on Cairn Sunday (the last Sunday in July), likely traces its origins back over a millennium, possibly rooted in pagan rituals.
Situated at the peak of Mullaghcarn Mountain. Access is on foot from Gortin Glen Forest Park.
Darach - The Guardian in Mullaghcarn, Gortin Glen Forest Park. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Ceoldán - The Stargazer
Ceoldán, meaning ‘music-poem’ (from ‘ceol’ meaning music and ‘dán’ meaning poem), kneels within his celestial sanctuary, atop a decorated podium symbolizing a galaxy. Encircling him are poles referencing the elliptical longitudes of the 13 zodiac constellations. With his eyes fixed on the night sky through a disc-like feature resembling ancient stone circles, Ceoldán strives to capture the brilliance of ‘The Seven Sisters’ choir, a star formation that also represents the seven guardians of Ireland: Oak, apple, hazel, ash, yew, alder, and elder.
Situated at the OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory, Davagh Forest, 155 Davagh Road, Omagh BT79 8JQ.
Ceoldán - The Star Gazer in Davagh Forest Dark Sky Park. (Ireland's Content Pool)
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Ahead of the unveiling of his installations in Northern Ireland, Dambo said: "Working in Northern Ireland has been a great challenge.
"Most of my sculptures around the world are made from trash like discarded pallet wood, because my main mission is to show the world how to transform trash into treasure.
"But for The Sperrins, I was asked to build my sculptures to last for 60 years and this has been a push to learn how to work with longevity in a responsible way.
“To make 'The Three Giants and the Campfires in the Sky' a reality, I had to learn about responsible forestry, European Oak, and natural preservatives.
"I also salvaged tons of residual wood from Danish furniture makers to make sure my work would still be in line with my core values. Because we must leave this planet a better place!
“I have worked through Chinese bureaucracy, Caribbean heatwaves and climbed steep slopes to build on the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee - but what met my crew in the misty hills of the Sperrins made me realise that most of the world doesn't have weather - Northern Ireland though - you've got weather!"
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