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Cost of shirt factory tribute rises ten-fold

An artist's impression of Louise Walsh's tribute to Derry's shirt factory women as it would have appeared
An artist's impression of Louise Walsh's tribute to Derry's shirt factory women as it would have appeared An artist's impression of Louise Walsh's tribute to Derry's shirt factory women as it would have appeared

A row over the location of a sculpture honouring Derry's shirt factory workers has resulted in the cost of the project increasing tenfold to approximately £1 million.

The huge sculpture by Cork artist, Louise Walsh has been left lying in a Derry city and Strabane council depot for the last six years as government agencies argue over its location.

An initial budget of £100,000 was set aside for the project in 2006. It was proposed that an artistic tribute be erected to the memory of the thousands of women who worked in the shirt industry.

At its height, the shirt manufacturing industry was the city's largest employer, providing work for thousands of women.

In a confidential report to Derry and Strabane's environment and regeneration committee, council officials have revealed the proposed cost of the project has rocketed over the last nine years.

Officials said: "The artwork was to be large in scale (i.e the wheel of a Singer sewing machine being approximately 8 metres, or 26 feet, in diameter) and fabricated in steel."

Artist, Ms Walsh originally identified Derry's King Street roundabout as the location for the sculpture. However, this was turned down on the grounds of its possible impact on traffic.

She subsequently identified the area behind the city's Guildhall. Over the last six years, this site has also been held up through refurbishment work and through concerns over the sculpture's impact on two listed buildings (Guildhall and Harbour Museum).

In their report, council officials said the cost of constructing the public realm works needed for the sculpture were now approximately £712,000 excluding VAT with the artist's cost of completing her commission being approximately £153,000 excluding VAT.

A council member present at the meeting said the total cost of the project would now be more than £1 million.

The councillor, who asked not to be named, said: "The women of Derry were the backbone of the city's economy. It is only right that they should be honoured.

"These delays are hiking up the cost, never mind the costs paid so far. The ratepayers of this city are behind the project and the delays must be sorted out."

A spokeswoman for Derry and Strabane council refused to confirm if ratepayers would be liable for increased costs on the grounds that the information was contained in a confidential report.