Hiring Fair children to keep their place in Letterkenny's new Market Square
It's been confirmed that the Hiring Fair children will retain their home in Letterkenny's redeveloped Market Square.
The sculptures by Maurice Harron, installed in 1994, have been incorporated into the new design of the Market Square.
With work due to begin on the almost €3M town centre project, Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh has welcomed assurance he gained from the council that the much-loved bronze figures would continue to have a prominent place in the town.
The life-sized bronze sculptures commemorate the hiring fairs that were once a feature of Letterkenny life from Famine times.
Wealthy farmers and landowners travelled to the town to hire poor children as farm labourers and domestic servants. This twice-yearly practice continued for almost a century.
Although the sculptures depict a difficult chapter in Irish history, Harron included a small frog in the boy's hand to reflect that, despite the hardship, there were still moments of childhood innocence and play.
The Boy with the Frog. Image: donegalpublicart.ie
One of the best-known figures, however, has been missing from the square for several years.
The boy holding the frog is believed to have been removed for repair, and there is some hope that he could return alongside the rest of the group when the newly redeveloped Market Square is unveiled.
The sod was officially turned on the Letterkenny 2040 – Reimagined Market Square project in June, with local contractor Boyle Construction carrying out the works.
The works will transform Market Square, Castle Street and Main Street with a new shared-surface layout, traffic calming, stepped access to Main Street.
The design features two public plazas with a water feature, improved accessibility, planting, revised roads and footpaths, and new seating, lighting, street furniture and cycle stands.
See more: Piece of Market Square history to be preserved for Ted Ponsonby arts space
This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.