Statues - Hither & Thither

2000 AD

"THE PILGRIMS"

     to celebrate the millennium, this sculpture was clommissioned to genesis
fine arts by the mullingar soroptimists. local people were also generous in
their support of the project.
     in 1996 the foundations of the priory of st. mary, called the house of god
of mullingar & its adjacent burial ground, were uncovered during building
excavations. this priory was founded by ralph petit, bishop of meath in 1227. it
was closed in 1539 during teh reformation. this priory housed the canons
regular of the order of st. augustine. archæologists discovered several
graves, some contained scallpp shells. this proved their owners had
undertaken the pilgrimage to the grave of st. james (the apostel of christ) in
compostela in n.w. spain.
     this monument depicts two augustinians, the older wearing a shell &
reading a pilgrims blessing to the younger, who wears a scrip (bag) & holds a
symbol of the towns rich cultural heritage & a metaphor for our own
pilgrimage into the third millennium.