One of the most illuminating events of the week this week took place in Dun Laoghaire, where Dorothy Cross's creation, Ghost Ship, was launched on Wednesday and now floats in all its eerie beauty. The decommisioned ship, which is painted in luminous paint and bobs aglow in Scotsman's Bay, is lit for viewing between 7.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. until February 21st. The second Nissan Art Project, it was launched by the President, Mrs McAleese.
Cross, looking as gracefully elegant as her ship was gracefully eerie, said that ghosts are very like art - people are afraid of them. Her speech received riotous applause.
While taking congratulations and praise from all around her, she said she was very relieved the project had finally come off. "It was very difficult, because of fear - fear that it wasn't a functioning ship. And because of bureaucracy. We only got the paint on last Sunday and had hoped to have it on by the Sunday before. The weather didn't help. But I was helped by many people," she said, highlighting the determined efforts on the project's behalf of Colm Nugent and Sarah Glenning.
Also there were Patricia Quinn, director of the Arts Council, Richard Conroy, cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Gerard O'Toole, executive manager of Nissan Ireland, Mike Murphy and Capt R. Wiltshire, harbour master of Dublin Port.