Mid and East Antrim hoping to host World War One poppies sculpture

The local government authority has expressed an interest in hosting the ‘Wave’ and ‘Weeping Window’ segments of the iconic artwork at Carrick Castle.

Both are part of the larger scale Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation, a collection of over 888,000 ceramic poppies which originally went on display at the Tower of London in the autumn of 2014.

Weeping Window is a cascade comprising several thousand handmade ceramic poppies seen pouring from a high window to the ground below; Wave is a sweeping arch of bright red poppy heads suspended on towering stalks.

The two sculptures, by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, were created to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

In their original setting they captured the public imagination and were visited by over five million people, according to organisers 14-18 NOW.

After the installation was dismantled, Weeping Window and Wave were preserved to be displayed elsewhere in the UK.

In 2016, they will be brought to four locations in England, Scotland and Wales.

Bids to host the poppies in 2017 are now being submitted to 14-18 NOW, with the deadline Monday, February 29.

National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) and the Belfast International Arts Festival have indicated a desire to host the art installation at the Ulster Museum next year.

Belfast City Council is submitting a separate bid to host the ceramic poppies at Belfast City Hall.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: “MEABC confirms the submission of an Expression of Interest in hosting the Weeping Window and Wave from the installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ (ceramic poppy sculptures) with a view to its future use at Carrickfergus Castle.”