The sculpture showing wild Geese chasing a barefoot boy in the area in Midleton Co. Cork that is known as the Gooses Acre.
This statue Boy and Geese depicted in the Digital Art Card By: John Christopher Treacy, is located on hospital road on the village green called the “Gooses Acre”. In the statue is a poor boy in remembrance to the workhouse that was in the town many years ago, it had many poor boys who were young orphans. Midleton used to host a market every Thursday in those days and the village green was full of Geese . It now has a farmers market every Saturday Morning, not sure where all the geese are gone.
Delivering cards to shops in Midleton, the conversation soon got into full swing about the image above Boy and Geese. Midleton people have memories and stories about the market on the Thursdays and all the geese roaming freely around the village green.
It must have been somewhat of a mayhem situation according to locals but also a real description of Ireland in those days, a step back in history. The workhouse was no fun by all accounts for the residences. The new Union workhouse was erected in 1840-41 on a seven-acre site during the Irish famine to house paupers, it is now the home of the Community Hospital and respite Care Centre.
The town is much changed today, a busy vibrant shopping town in East Cork, Ireland a tourist hub. The home of the famous Jameson Distillery at the top of the town, accommodating thousands of visitors each year to the visitors center. Midleton has great shops, pubs restaurants and of course lovely people as well.