Thomas Dambo: Sperrin Mountains 'fairy tale' setting for trolls

"Where I'm from, we don't really have hills, so when I saw Northern Ireland, it was like a fairy tale setting for my art."

Thomas Dambo is one of the world's leading recycle artists.

Enthusiasm beams from the 44-year-old from Denmark when he speaks about his sculptures.

In recent years he has become best known for his work on The Trail of a Thousand Trolls.

It is a project that consists of more than 100 large, recycled wood sculptures featuring trolls of all shapes and sizes.

The sculptures have been installed in 17 countries, from the USA and France to Chile and China.

Four trolls have recently made the island of Ireland's largest mountain range their home.

'Beautiful landscape'

The Sperrin Mountains stretch across Mid Ulster for more than 40 miles, through County Tyrone and County Londonderry.

The mountains have strong links to ancient Celtic myths and Neolithic giants, so the world-renowned artist said it was a perfect location.

He said: "In Denmark we have troll legends, I grew up with troll lullabies, so we say things like - 'this lake is the footstep of a troll', so it was very natural for to me to use them in my sculptures.

"I had seen the landscape of Northern Ireland in movies and things like that, so I just felt it would be a beautiful place to have my art."

Dambo was taught the value of recycling and sustainability from a young age.

He said the larger-than-life sculptures are a way of showcasing these values.

He added: "As a child, my parents always taught me to be good to nature and the value of recycling. I always loved to explore, climbing trees and things like that.

Thomas Dambo is one of the world's leading recycle artists

"I wanted to do street art and the sculptures came from there."

Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, as well as Mid Ulster district councils have worked in partnership to develop what has become known as the Sperrin Sculpture Trail.

The four troll sculptures are based at three different locations across the Sperrins.

Two storyteller trolls lie in the Glenelly Valley, the guardian troll has made the Mullaghcarn Mountain its home and the stargazer troll resides in Davagh Forest near Northern Ireland's Dark Sky Park.

'The spine of Northern Ireland'

But the giant link to the Sperrins does not begin and end with the large sculptures.

The Mid Ulster area of Northern Ireland has previously been identified as a 'giant hotspot' by scientists studying a gene defect which causes people to grow abnormally tall.

One in 150 people in Mid Ulster were found to carry AIP - known as the 'giant gene'.

The Stargazer troll resides in Davagh Forest near Northern Ireland's Dark Sky Park

It can result in too much growth hormone, which is produced and released by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland just below the brain.

Geneticists have identified that living carriers of the gene in Mid Ulster shared a common ancestor who lived about 2,500 years ago.

Dr Liam Campbell is a historical geographer and has given tours explaining this history of the Sperrins.

He said: "The Sperrins are like the spine of Northern Ireland and the sculptures are incredible because they're in the heart of them and represent all of that wonder of the mountains.

"The mythology of Ireland includes these stories of tribes of giants, so the sculptures are representing the natural and cultural heritage of the Sperrins."

Dr Liam Campbell is a historical geographer

Mary McKeown of Mid Ulster District Council said the location was stunning.

"Take the Dark Sky Park here at Davagh forest, where we have our stargazer troll, Ceoldán, based at.

"This is where archaeology meets astronomy, Ceoldán looks up into the stars and it entices you to look up and he has become the guardian of Davagh forest."

Dambo hasn't been back to Northern Ireland since his sculptures were installed but said he planned to visit as soon as he can.

"I would love to come back and see them because the sculptures are my little babies - or maybe I should say, my big babies," he said.