A statue created by a Swinford-based sculptor has been unveiled at the Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall along the M7 motorway.
Renowned sculptor Mark Rode has created a bronze statue of the former President and First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama, which has been installed at the Visitors Centre at the Barack Obama Plaza.
Mark studied art at the Queensland College of Art in Australia.
He moved from Australia to England in 1998 before moving to Ireland where he worked in Dublin and Leitrim before setting up a studio and bronze foundry in Swinford.
He has completed many public sculptures, including the Quiet Man status in Cong, the Titanic Memorial in Laherdane, the Kerry Football statue in Tralee and the Tour de France statue in Enniscorthy.
Owner of the Barack Obama Plaza, Galway-based businessman Pat McDonagh, says there's still a deep connection between Barack Obama and the Moneygall area, with tourists coming from all over who might not have known about the former President's connection with the area.
He says this new statue will help to strengthen the understanding of those ties.
