But hollow doesn't mean fragile. One seven-foot tall figure weighs nearly 1,000 pounds. Shure said at the oven stage, the sculpture requires the use of a foundry. He utilizes Paul King Foundry in Rhode Island for this work. The bronze pieces are welded together there as well before transport.
Installation is another tall order, considering the number of figures and the weight of each one.
Shure usually works with Suffolk Construction to transport and install pieces such as this. He will also work with the architects for the details of the park, paving and landscape. Although he is not Irish by ancestry, Shure said his wife, Kathleen, who has some Irish roots, is helping with the work. Nevertheless, he is obviously moved by the story of the Famine as is seen on the faces of his work in progress. Selected from a national search, Shure is pleased that he was chosen for the project.