A bronze statue of Phil Lynott, the singer from Irish rock band Thin Lizzy who died in 1986, will be unveiled in Dublin next week - and all it needs now is a name, writes Rosita Boland
Guess who's coming back to stay? Philip Parris Lynott, star of Thin Lizzy, who died in 1986, will be reappearing in central Dublin. Next week a life-sized bronze of the late singer will be installed on a public site on Harry Street, close to Bruxelles Pub. The statue is still in the foundry, and is being kept well out of sight of the media until it arrives on site next Friday evening.
Thin Lizzy had the distinction of being Ireland's first internationally successful hard rock band. It was formed in the late 1960s by bassist and singer Lynott. In the overwhelmingly Caucasian-populated city of the time, Lynott, whose father was Brazilian and mother Irish, stood out with his arresting looks and strong personality. The band's first significant hit was Whiskey in the Jar in 1973. Their first album to make an impact was Fighting, but it was Jailbreak that was their real breakthrough album. It contained that urgent, thumping, insistent classic, The Boys Are Back in Town, a hit single that made them a worldwide name.
In 1980, Lynott went solo. But he had been struggling with drug addiction for some time, and he died aged only 36. He left behind his wife, Caroline Crowther, and their two small daughters, Sarah and Cathleen. He had written songs for both his daughters: the tender, delighted-sounding Sarah is one of his classics.
Dublin's newest statue is the result of extensive and prolonged fundraising efforts on behalf of the Róisín Dubh trust, set up in 1994 to commemorate Lynott's life and achievements. Two of the trust's directors are Lynott's mother Philomena, and Audrey O'Neill. Ever since the trust was established, it has been aiming to put up a statue in memory of Lynott somewhere in central Dublin, preferably around Grafton Street, where Lynott often hung out - although it's a fair bet to say he would hardly recognise the street today, two decades later.
Philomena Lynott is quite possibly the only Irish mother who will see a statue of her child be put up in her own lifetime.
"The initiative for the statue came from the Róisín Dubh Trust," explains Jack Gilligan, arts officer with Dublin City Council. Even more important than the idea was the fact that the funding was in place for the statue. While Gilligan doesn't know how much the life-sized bronze cost to commission, since all monies were raised independently by the trust, bronze is not a cheap material.
Dublin City Council considered the proposal along with members of their public art advisory board, who include Barbara Dawson, director of Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, and Gilligan himself.
"To be considered for a statue, or public acknowledgement in some way, a person must have made a significant contribution to the life of the city," Gilligan says. "You have to look at how history will judge it in 50 or 100 years time - will it have any relevance then? It's now 19 years since Phil Lynott died and a whole new generation has been inspired by his music."
Cllr Brendan Carr was a key supporter of the project and proposed that the council support the Róisín Dubh Trust, and place the statue in a prominent position in Dublin. The trust then began the process of inviting artists to submit proposals. The council, along with the trust, looked at the submissions and, later, at the models and maquettes of those short-listed artists. The selected artist is Paul Daly; this is his first major commission.
Dublin City Council, which owns the space on which the statue will be placed, is facilitating the installation of the statue. Such issues as access to underground services and public safety all have to be considered when an object is given a permanent place in a public area.
The fact that Phil Lynott was an influential and successful musician is not in question, but some Dubliners may wonder why he is being given a statue while there is nothing similar for other deceased Irish artists, such as Nobel Laureate Samuel Beckett.
"It's not a question of one over the other," Gilligan says. "They are two totally different people and have made different contributions. Sometimes it's the obvious choice - put up a statue. But it's not always necessarily the best way to commemorate someone."
He points out that the new pedestrian bridge across the Liffey is named after Seán O'Casey. Samuel Beckett, while he does not have a statue, does have a theatre named after him in Trinity College Dublin. Gilligan also makes the point that there is nothing to stop interested members of the public forming their own fundraising group to publicly and permanently honour someone such as Beckett.
Once the image of Thin Lizzy's most famous member is put in place on Friday, it will surely only be a matter of time until Dubliners find a nickname for the most recent addition to their streets. Given that it's going to be placed outside a bar, any takers for the Dub by the Pub?
Famous Dubliners without statues: Séan O'Casey, Samuel Beckett
Famous person we regard as a Dubliner with a statue: Jim Larkin (born in Liverpool), on O'Connell Street
Famous Dubliners with statues: James Joyce, on North Earl Street, known as the Prick with the Stick; Oscar Wilde (right), in Merrion Square, known as the Quare on the Square and the Fag on the Crag
Fictional Dubliner with a famous, much-photographed statue: Molly Malone, on College Green, known as the Tart with the Cart, and the Dish with the Fish
Fictional Dubliner with a statue that was removed due to its overwhelming unpopularity: Anna Livia, previously on O'Connell Street, and known variously as the Floozie in the Jacuzzi; the Hoor in the Sewer; the Viagra Falls; and the Mot in the Pot