A deer gift for Castleknock

What a wonderful gift!

Local resident Brian Arkins (BA Steel Fabrications) has generously donated a superb sculpture of a trio of deer to the people of Castleknock today, through Castleknock Tidy Towns.

Fingal County Council laid the foundation plinth last week on the grassed area on the Castleknock Road. Today, the sculpture was handed over to Fingal County Council and secured in place. It will be there into the future for us all to enjoy. This beautiful trio of fallow deer (buck, doe and fawn) celebrates Castleknock's proximity to the Phoenix Park and the Park's long history of fallow deer as local 'residents'.

Did you know that the Phoenix Park was established as a Royal Deer Park in 1662 by James Butler, Duke of Ormond? Fallow deer have been in the Park ever since. Some of the deer living in the Park today are the descendants of those original deer brought over 350 years ago.

Thanks David Cavanagh for the technical drawings. Thanks Brian Cavanagh, CTT for assisting Brian Arkins in progressing the project from a concept through to completion. Thanks Fingal County Council for your help to date and your future guardianship of the sculpture.

Sincerest thanks go to the Arkins family today, for this very generous and meaningful donation.