You won't miss this elephant in the room at Fort Dunree

A full-size African elephant has taken up residence at Fort Dunree.

Sculptor Kevin Harkin transported the 10-foot elephant, made out of a steel frame and chicken wire, from his base near Ardmore this week.

The sculpture took over a year to complete and now forms a part of the Artlink Members Show 2023, a free art event at Fort Dunree.

"It will be strapped well down because this is a very big animal - it's a massive sculpture,” Mr Harkin told the BBC.

His piece - and an accompanying pink calf - is among works by over 50 other artists at Fort Dunree. The elephant was designed and built at Hillfarm House, Deer Park.

Mr Harkin said: "I do my outline profile of it and then try and build it out and build up the body shape from that initial outline.

"I use round bars, all individual pieces that are bent by hand. It's a lot of time spent going up and down scaffolding and welding pieces together.”

He used 24 cans of expanding foam that gives the elephant a white gloss effect.

He said: ”It is quite difficult to work with as it's a sticky glue substance, but it's quite effective and it's amazing what you can do with it.”