£100k fundraising effort as statue of saint who gave Scottish island its name risks being 'lost to the sea'
The statue’s hands and feet have been lost over time to the elements
A bid has been launched to save the statue of a saint who gave an island its name which is at risk of being lost to sea.
The statue of 6th-century Saint Barr, erected in the mid-70s on the Outer Hebridean island of Barra, is looking a little worse for wear.
Exposed to the elements, the eponymous landmark has deteriorated badly, particularly around his arms, hands and feet, and is at risk of disintegrating completely, islanders have said.
A campaign to raise £100,000 is underway to have the statue replicated and replaced, with £10,000 already in the pot.
Islanders are also hoping Saint Barr will come back bigger and stronger, with suggestions made to increase the statute’s size by 50 per cent so that it is more prominent and visible from the shore.
The sculpture was created by local artist Margaret Somerville, who died in 2018, using concrete moulded around a steel frame. It depicts the Irish saint holding a shepherd’s crook aloft as he looks to the heavens.
Defiant his stance may be, the exposed location and the Hebridean weather has meant the metal frame has become exposed and is rusting due to clumps of concrete becoming brittle and falling off.
In Gaelic, Barra is Barraigh which translates as Barr’s Island. It takes its name from Saint Finbar of Cork who is believed to have been a follower of Saint Columba and introduced Christianity to the island.
The fundraising campaign, which is expected to last several years, is led by a community group that came together due to the increasing concern over the statue’s condition and the danger of it being lost completely.
They have asked sculptor Stephen Tinney to use the existing figure as the basis for the new statue. Mr Tinney lives on the Isle of Skye, but has family connections to Barra and is a regular visitor to the island.
A mould of the current statue will be taken so that it remains true to Ms Somerville’s original work and recreate it in hard wearing bronze.
Michael MacNeil, of the Saint Barr Statue Fundraising Group, said: “For almost 50 years, the statue has been a symbol of our island and its rich heritage.
“It would be a huge loss if Saint Barr was to crumble into the sea completely without any effort to preserve Margaret’s work and her gift to the community.
“We know her family, who are supportive of the campaign, will not want that to happen. This project will see the statue recreated in a material that will withstand the worst of Hebridean weather and cope with its exposed seashore location.”
Fundraising group member, Michael MacKinnon added: “Margaret was a very popular and respected member of our community.
“She contributed so much to the life of Barra in so many ways from public artwork to teaching the clarsach (harp). It is important that we recognise her impact on Barra and ensure her main public artwork is visible, enjoyed and understood by future generations of islanders and visitors.”
The £10,000 grant came from the Crown Estates Scotland, a strong start to the islanders’ campaign.
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