Sculpting to begin on Ó Conaire statue

Sculpting will begin this summer on a replica of the Pádraic Ó Conaire statue for Eyre Square.

The closing date for tenders from Irish foundries for the moulding of the new bronze statue was the end of June.

Gary McMahon, the Council’s Senior Executive Office for Arts and Culture, said this week that an expert group is currently being put together on how best to proceed with the replica, and work will proceed “shortly thereafter”.

“Work on the replica will begin over the course of the summer,” he told councillors at a meeting this week.

He said the issue of where the statue will be located in the Square has not yet been decided, and he will have more information in September.

The plans involve removing the original sculpture from the City Museum, cleaning it to facilitate the mould process, temporary repairs on the sculpture, silicon moulds to be made, and then transport from the foundry and its positioning in Eyre Square.

The original – which was designed by Albert Power – was unveiled by Eamon de Valera in 1935 and was situated between the Browne Doorway and Richardson’s Pub.

It was removed 11 years ago as part of the Eyre Square enhancement scheme.

Following ongoing concerns from Council officials about the preservation of the statue and ongoing vandalism, it never returned.

In 1999, four youths from Northern Ireland kicked the head off the statue during a drunken spree, causing £11,000 (around €14,000) worth of damage.

They were each fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to the city of Galway. At the time, the judge likened the theft of the head to the removal of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre.