Condition Assessment & Conservation Management Report for the Plaster Statue of Oliver Goldsmith, Pallas, Co. Longford

Tender description

Longford County Council is requesting tender proposals from suitably experienced and qualified consultants to undertake an assessment of the statue and develop a methodology for the repair and long-term conservation and storage/display of the sculpture on behalf of Longford County Council, in consultation with the Oliver Goldsmith Literary Festival Committee (Goldsmith Country Ltd.) Oliver Goldsmith is one of the most broad-ranging and significant writers in the English language, with significant output in the fields of drama, poetry, journalism and natural heritage. Goldsmith is commemorated at the site of his childhood home at the former rectory at Pallas, in the townland of Pallas More, near Ballymahon, close to the Center Parcs Longford Forest holiday resort. This statue is a plaster version of the bronze sculpture of Goldsmith at Trinity College Dublin, created by the renowned Victorian sculptor, John Henry Foley. The Pallas piece is believed to date from the mid-19th century, around the time of the creation of the bronze, but it is currently uncertain as to its exact nature and reason for its creation. A limited amount of research has been undertaken, which will be supplied to the successful tenderer. An overview of the statue and its known background is available at this link (video 2) https://olivergoldsmithfestival.com/goldsmith-online-festival-2020/ This project is to determine, as far as is possible, the nature of this sculpture and its materials; undertake a detailed condition assessment, and develop conservation plan for its repair and long-term display/storage. Please see the attached documentation for more information. The project is to be completed by November 2021. It is an action of the County Longford Heritage Plan 2019-2024 and is funded by the Heritage Council, with the support of Longford County Council.