ADORING FANS have rocked Joe Dolan’s memorial statute to its foundations, leaving Westmeath County Council with no option but to remove and reinforce the bronze replica.
The statue was removed from Mullingar and taken to a foundry in Dublin yesterday where reinforcement works will be carried out. The late singer’s brother Ben greeted the news by exclaiming, “Joe’s gone on tour!” said Westmeath County Council chairman Michael Dollard.
“The statue itself became loose as a consequence of people literally getting up on the statue. I would say it is the most photographed statue in Ireland,” he said.
Erected in Mullingar in December 2008, the bronze statue has become a mecca for Joe Dolan fans, who come to have their photograph taken with the life-size replica.
In a statement yesterday the council said: “In order to overcome potential future difficulties and to prevent further movement at the base of the sculpture, Westmeath County Council has commissioned the original installation company to retro-fit additional foundation fixings to bring greater stability to the structure.”