{"id":566918,"date":"2026-05-05T06:04:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T06:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/566918\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T06:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T06:04:12","slug":"new-grand-central-station-sculpture-poor-substitute-for-loss-of-heritage-sandy-row-residents-group-insists-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/566918\/","title":{"rendered":"New Grand Central Station sculpture \u2018poor substitute\u2019 for loss of heritage, Sandy Row residents group insists \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Claims that a new sculpture at Belfast\u2019s Grand Central Station<\/a> was \u201ccommunity inspired\u201d have been questioned by a residents\u2019 group who say it in fact symbolises Translink \u201cturning their backs\u201d on locals. <\/p>\n

The nine-metre high artwork was unveiled at the new Saltwater Square outside the transport hub last week, and has been touted as celebrating the city\u2019s \u201cheritage, creativity and future\u201d.<\/p>\n

The work of artist Kevin Killen, the sculpture is named \u2018Reflections\u2019, and was made using reclaimed parts of the Boyne Bridge<\/a>, which was demolished last year to create the new public square.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Reflections sculpture being unveiled in Saltwater Square last week PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN <\/p>\n

Residents in the nearby Sandy Row<\/a> area steadfastly opposed the dismantling of the bridge, citing its heritage value, as well as opposing the disruption to local businesses the work would cause.<\/p>\n

\"Demand<\/a>\"NI<\/a><\/p>\n

Now the residents group behind the campaign to save the bridge have turned their ire on the new sculpture, which Stormont\u2019s infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins<\/a> said would \u201cacknowledge the history of this area while looking ahead to its future\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cBy reusing elements of the former Boyne Bridge, the artwork reflects the past as this new public space takes shape,\u201d she said of the square at the entrance to the new \u00a3340m station.<\/p>\n

Belfast\u2019s Golden Thread Gallery was involved in the design of the piece, saying its \u201cuse of the Japanese principle of Kintsugi \u2013 repairing broken materials to create strength and beauty \u2013 speaks directly to Belfast\u2019s story of resilience and regeneration”.<\/p>\n

However, Billy Dickson, who chairs the Blackstaff Residents Association, said the claim of \u201cextensive community engagement\u201d by Translink over the sculpture \u201cdoes not ring true for the vast majority of Sandy Row residents \u2013 and likely not for those in Grosvenor Road either\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the Department for Infrastructure\u2019s statement may sound convincing to many, those of us dedicated to preserving our culture and heritage see the artwork as a missed opportunity,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt reflects a failure to save the 1936 Boyne Bridge. The sculpture is a poor substitute for the loss of the bridge. After the battle to preserve it was lost, the remaining steelwork could have been used to create a more substantial feature \u2013such as a steel version of Stonehenge. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, we understand that the rest of the steel was sold for scrap.<\/p>\n

\"DemolitionThe remains of the Boyne Bridge following its dismantling to make way for Saltwater Square PICTURE: MAL MCCANN <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has been done cannot be undone. The sculpture stands as it is, and the general public and visitors will ultimately decide its value. The steelwork may help tell the story of the bridge and the local area. The mirrored side facing the station, regardless of its intended symbolism, will likely be popular with children and many adults alike.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother interpretation that might be viewed, is that the sculpture reflects Translink\u2019s and the DfI\u2019s turning their backs on the local community, who made their opposition to demolishing the 1936 bridge very clear. <\/p>\n

\u201cOnly when the bridge\u2019s closure caused severe traffic issues and nearly strangled Sandy Row\u2019s commercial life did they respond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Dickson said Sandy Row residents have acknowledged \u201cpositives\u201d including renaming a section of Durham Street, where the bridge previously stood, to \u2018Boyne Bridge Place\u2019, and the reuse of some of the old bridge lampposts in the square.<\/p>\n

\"AA section of Belfast’s Durham Street has been renamed Boyne Bridge Place to mark where the bridge stood until last year PICTURE: ARTHUR ALLISON\/PACEMAKER<\/p>\n

He said the residents\u2019 group has \u201csubmitted suggestions to Translink regarding future features and signage, sincerely hoping our views will be fully considered\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cComprehensive consultation is essential, rather than the token engagement claimed so far,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe urge city planners and Translink to reconsider the current plans and adopt a genuinely collaborative approach\u2014 working closely with the community to create a Central Station that truly embodies the spirit of Belfast.”<\/p>\n

The Irish News approached Translink for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Claims that a new sculpture at Belfast\u2019s Grand Central Station was \u201ccommunity inspired\u201d have been questioned by a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566919,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1334,1120,96,194188,194189,85340,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-566918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-belfast","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-grand-central-station-belfast","tag-sandy-row","tag-translink","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}