Artist installs 1,000 lights across Ireland's Connemara mountains

Artist installs 1,000 lights across Ireland’s Connemara mountains to transform the landmark into a sea of colour ahead of St Patrick’s Day

  • Finnish artist Kari Kola lights up night sky in what is being dubbed the ‘world’s largest’ outdoor light artwork 
  • His work of 1,000 lights beamed on to Connemara mountains next to glacial lakes in County Galway, Ireland
  • The opening event was cancelled over coronavirus fears and the production team dismantled it just last night
  • But the work, which spanned more than five kilometres over mountains, can still be seen in stunning footage 
  • Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

An artist has captivated Ireland by lighting up mountains for St Patrick’s Day as celebrations were cancelled amid fears over coronavirus. 

Finnish artist Kari Kola lit up the mountains in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland in the traditional colours of St Patrick’s Day of blue and green with his work of 1,000 lights. 

Mr Kola’s light work of 1,000 lights beamed on to the mountains next to Lough Na Fuaiche, one of Ireland’s glacial lakes.

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People are pictured admiring the artwork before it was taken down. Light artist Kari Kola lit up the mountains in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland in the traditional colours of St Patrick’s Day of blue and green with his work of 1,000 lights

His artwork, named Savage Beauty, spanned a total of five kilometres across the Connemara mountains.

The event was supposed to run this from Saturday to Tuesday, but this was cancelled and the production team had to dismantle the work last night.

Ireland cancelled its usual parade through the streets of Dublin amid fears of spreading the disease. Ireland has today recorded its second death to the virus, and all schools in the country have been closed.

Jim Lenaghan wrote online: ‘Kari Kola’s beautiful lighting instalation ‘Savage Beauty’ did get its chance to shine at Lough Na Fuaiche last night in an unannounced tech run & to be videoed. 

‘It was stunning! Mountain mist swirled around the uplands making the whole thing very ethereal’.

The stunning piece brought the mountains to life with Mr Kola’s light. A thousand lights beamed on to the mountains next to Lough Na Fuaiche, one of Ireland’s glacial lakes, seen below

His artwork, named Savage Beauty, spanned a total of five kilometres across the Connemara mountains. A long shot of the view from afar is seen above

The work is now an art piece that people can view online. The Irish Government has advised that anyone with coronavirus symptoms must self-isolate and stay indoors. 

Mr Kola said of the cancellation: ‘With abstract light, there are as many stories as there are viewers. 

‘If I can choose, I always work with nature because that’s the best art that we have. I am very disappointed that the public exhibition of this work had to be cancelled, but I hope that this digital edition will show how we played with scale in Connemara and created something that people would not expect.’



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The event was supposed to run this from Saturday to Tuesday, but this was cancelled and the production team had to dismantle the work last night

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