Designer/Metalsmith/Sculptor
Kevin J. O'Dwyer
O’Dwyer has recycled one of the tipplers used to unload peat. Tippler Bridge has a cylindrical form. O’Dwyer’s walking bridge uses a hybrid assortment of materials that included corrugated steel that references the Nissan huts that housed over 400 men who worked the bogs in the 1950s. Both shelter and bridge, the Tippler Bridge’s view areas inside offer a cropped view of the surrounding lands, that contrasts the pervasive sky and arc of the horizon that predominates over this landscape. A cachet of local history, an industrial aesthetic, and a collaging of these elements with the landscape panorama all come together in O’Dwyer’s Tippler Bridge for passers by and visitors alike to experience.
John Grande Art Nature Dialogues
Tippler Bridge – A Sculptural Reflection on Industry, Shelter, and Landscape
Tippler Bridge grew from my interest in the industrial heritage of Boora Bog and the human stories tied to the peatlands. I was inspired by the Nissen huts that once housed Bord na Móna workers during the 1940s and ’50s — simple, functional structures that became temporary homes during the intense peat-harvesting season.
At the heart of the sculpture is a recycled Tippler, salvaged from the old Ferbane power plant where it was used to unload peat from the rail carriages. I wrapped the Tippler’s skeletal armature in galvanised steel, giving it a renewed presence while echoing the utilitarian design of those historic huts.
The piece serves multiple roles — a bridge, a shelter, a bird hide — but it’s also intended as a lens through which to experience the landscape. Boora’s open sky can be vast and overwhelming. To counter that, I added stainless steel viewing slots that help frame and focus the viewer’s gaze, offering moments of quiet observation along the canal’s edge.
For me, Tippler Bridge is as much about memory and transformation as it is about form. It combines industrial materials, functional design, and a deep connection to place — honoring the peat industry's legacy while inviting reflection on how we interact with the land today.
This piece combines the functional - bridge/shelter/bird hide with a sculptural industrial aesthetic.
Tippler Bridge 2008
Material: Recycled steel Tippler from Ferbane Power Plant,
Galvanised steel, stainless steel
Dimensions: 15 m x 4m x 4m
Location: Sculpture in the Parklands
Co. Offaly, Ireland