The Music Makers

Down by the water, close to Kenmare’s suspension bridge, three silent musicians have been keeping watch over Kenmare Bay for more than 30 years.

Known officially as The Music Makers, and affectionately around Kenmare as The Three Musicians, these striking limestone figures have become one of those familiar local landmarks that many of us pass regularly without necessarily knowing the story behind them.

The three large carved limestone sculptures depict musicians playing three instruments closely associated with Irish music: the bodhrán, the Irish bouzouki and the accordion.

Created by renowned Irish sculptor Dick Joynt, The Music Makers were erected in 1995, making them part of the Kenmare landscape for over three decades.

The man behind The Music Makers

Dick Joynt was born in Dublin in 1938 and became particularly renowned for his work in stone.

His route into sculpture was an interesting one. After spending time in America, he returned to Ireland and eventually joined the Dublin Art Foundry in 1972. Sculpture became his principal artistic medium and over the following decades he developed a distinctive style, particularly through large works in stone and wood.

Joynt became one of Ireland’s notable public sculptors, with works appearing around the country.

Among his best known pieces are The Ram near Bray, The Victors in Tallaght, a bust of Michael Collins in Merrion Square and, of course, The Music Makers here in Kenmare.

There is something particularly lovely about the way Joynt worked. Rather than relying heavily on power tools, he preferred the slow rhythm of hammer and chisel. He once compared the process of carving stone to prayer.

That feels somehow appropriate when you look at The Music Makers today. Despite their enormous scale, there is a wonderful stillness about them.

A celebration of music in Kenmare

The choice of musicians feels particularly fitting for Kenmare, where traditional music has long been woven into the social and cultural life of the town, heard in pubs, at gatherings, festivals and sessions through generations.

Rather than depicting particular individuals, The Music Makers celebrate music itself and the musicians who keep that tradition alive. Their forms are bold and wonderfully simple. Three enormous figures, instruments in hand, permanently gathered together for a session overlooking the water.

And unlike musicians in a pub, these three have managed to stay together for more than 30 years without falling out over the set list!

Have you ever stopped to see them?

The Music Makers can be found down by the water near Kenmare’s suspension bridge, overlooking Kenmare Bay. They are well worth seeking out on a walk around town. Up close, you can really appreciate the texture of the limestone and the sheer scale of Joynt’s work, as well as their beautiful setting with the mountains, trees and water surrounding them.

They are part of Kenmare’s public art, part of our musical heritage and, after more than three decades standing guard over the bay, very much part of the town itself.

So next time you are walking down towards the suspension bridge, go and say hello to The Three Musicians.

They have been waiting there since 1995.

The Music Makers

Sculptor: Dick Joynt (1938 to 2003)

Erected: 1995

Material: Limestone

Depicting: Three musicians playing the bodhrán, Irish bouzouki and accordion

Location: By Kenmare Bay, close to Kenmare Suspension Bridge