Exciting new developments are afoot at Rossmore Park ahead of the school holidays and in time for the tourist season. Following on from the installation of the Rossmore Giants wooden sculptures in the country's most visited wooded park, Monaghan County Council has commissioned a series of smaller wooden sculptures on the nature trail which runs near the children's play park.
The sculptures of birds and animals native to Rossmore are being created by local wood artists, Jimmy Cosgrove and Seán McGeogh from Smithboro. The first of the new additions, a badger emerging out of its sett, was installed at the weekend with 12 more like a deer, otter, barn owl, fox and a giant squirrel, to be placed in their natural setting in the coming weeks.
The upgrade of the nature trail, also known locally as "the numbers track" is something that Independent Councillor Paudge Connolly has been calling for for several years. He said children love the trail and the addition of the new wooden animals will draw even more visitors to Rossmore: "The level of excitement it brings to kids to be on that wee magical tour and for them now to sit and view animals in their natural setting will be great," Cllr Connolly said, "Like, you'll see a barn owl sitting in a tree, you'll see a deer in behind lots of timber, very natural. A kid would never know what a badger looks like in reality or, what its environment would be. It'll be educational."
