Local sculptor honoured to help restore Carson to his former glory

WHITEABBEY sculptor John Sherlock has said it was an honour to lead the team that restored the iconic Carson Monument at Stormont.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Nov 2012, 04:18 BST

Work to clean, re-treat and polish Edward Carson’s statue took several weeks to complete, and was carried out by Mr Sherlock, in partnership with a specialist team from Powderhall Bronze in Edinburgh.

The £45,000 facelift, which was unveiled last week, involved the restoration of the bronze monument, plaques and benches to their original beauty, as created by English Sculptor LS Merryfield in 1933.

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The specialist team cleaned the statue before treating it with chemicals and then waxing and polishing it - restoring the classical black finish found on all Victorian monuments.

“It was a bit of an honour,” said Mr Sherlock. “We really went for it because it’s such a prestigious job.

“I would say his mother would be proud of him. He’s in pristine condition. He’s as good as he was the day he arrived 79 years ago.”

Mr Sherlock is now busy working on restoring the lamps in the grounds of Stormont.

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