Photographed By William Murphy - Select Image To View Photographs

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BY WILL FOGARTY

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ABOUT WILL FOGARTY AND HIS ART HI-RES PHOTOGRAPHS LOW-RES BUT FASTER TO LOAD PHOTOGRAPHS

In the final week of March 2022, Stormont Estate held a rare, hushed atmosphere. While the world was beginning to reopen, the trails remained unusually quiet—a "ghost town" of sorts that allowed the landscape to speak for itself. It was during this window of solitude that I captured the enhanced trail features, specifically the intricate wood sculptures that seemed to have claimed the woods for themselves during the quiet years of the pandemic.

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DUBLIN NORTHSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS - NYMPH A FISHING PHOTOGRAPHS - THE BIG FISH INDEX - PHOTO GALLERIES DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE BELFAST CITY HALL BELFAST CITY DECEMBER 2025

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The Artist: Fear na Coillte

The woodland carvings along the Stormont trails—featuring a menagerie of animals, folklore figures, and literary fragments—are the work of sculptor Will Fogarty. Operating under the name Fear na Coillte (Irish for "Man of the Woods"), Fogarty is a renowned chainsaw artist based in Ireland.

His craft involves transforming fallen or seasoned timber into organic art that blends seamlessly back into the earth. At Stormont, his work acts as a visual invitation, urging walkers to "watch with glittering eyes" for the hidden details often missed in the rush of daily life.

A Message in the Wood

One of the most poignant features of the trail is the carved inscription from Roald Dahl’s The Minpins:

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

The Philosophy of the Trail

This inscription serves as more than just decoration; it is a philosophical anchor for the entire estate:

Open-Mindedness: It reminds us that "magic" isn't about sorcery, but the ability to see the extraordinary within the ordinary. To walk these trails with cynicism is to remain blind to the wonders of the natural world.

The Power of Perspective: It is a call to maintain a childlike sense of wonder. In the silence of March 2022, the message felt even more urgent—a reminder to slow down and notice the symmetry of a web or the way light hits a freshly carved wing.

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Our expectations shape our reality. If we believe the world is dull, it remains so. But for those who believe in the "magic" of nature and art, the secrets of the woods are always waiting to be discovered.

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DUBLIN NORTHSIDE DUBLIN SOUTHSIDE PAINT-A-BOX STREET ART DUBLIN CASTLE MARCH 2026

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The Urban Cartographer

The Silent Guardians of Stormont

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BY WILL FOGARTY

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