A statue of singer Luke Kelly is undergoing extensive repairs due to tourists and locals snapping off pieces of copper hair and beard as mementos.
The €80,000 statue by sculptor Vera Klute was erected seven years ago. It is situated near Sheriff Street in Dublin’s north inner city and attracts thousands of visitors annually in addition to high local footfall.
Kelly, who is from the area, died aged 43 in 1984 from a brain tumour.
A member of The Dubliners, he was central to the folk revival in Ireland from the 1960s onwards, singing popular songs such as Raglan Road and The Rocky Road to Dublin.
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The sculpture now needs extensive work due to pieces being broken off. The copper has to be fully replaced and will take several months to repair.
A Dublin City Council spokesperson said that “over recent months part of the Luke Kelly statue at Sheriff Street has had damage to some parts of the moustache copper strands”.
Klute and a conservator were on-site last Tuesday to attend to the first stage in maintenance of the sculpture, which involved replacing some of the copper strands.
The strands will also be painted in the coming weeks as they have been bleached by sunshine.
The statue was cordoned off with council barriers while the inspection and work was being carried out.
It is understood the artist is compiling a report and will meet council management to discuss the matter at a future date.
A former lord mayor of Dublin and north inner city Independent councillor Christy Burke said he “welcomed” the work the council was undertaking.
“There is no reason to believe the current incidents are malicious. It’s believed the snippets that are being taken are being taken by fans of Luke and perhaps even locals. There are no plans to remove the statue or place it in a more secure setting,” added Burke.
The large statue has been vandalised on several occasions in the past, including in 2019 and 2020 when it was daubed with paint.
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A man was subsequently arrested over the incidents and was jailed for 18 months with nine months suspended.
A separate full-body statue of Kelly playing the banjo is situated on South King Street near St Stephen’s Green in the city. It has also been vandalised.
