Donncha O'Dulaing, Dublin city heritage officer
If you've been anywhere near O'Connell Street in Dublin recently, you'll have noticed that some of its best known residents are under wraps. As part of the street's continuing rejuvenation, its stone and bronze denizens are being spruced up, and Dublin City Council's heritage officer Donncha O'Dulaing is the man in charge. O'Dulaing, an archeologist who has worked for the National Parks Service and the GAA museum, says that while the clean-up will be dramatic, the statues won't be too sparkling. "We don't want the statues to look brand new," he says. "They will wear their age with pride." They will show their battle scars too, such as the bullet holes in the wings of the O'Connell monument's angels. "That statue has been shot at, bombed, blasted by wind and rain and traffic fumes," says O'Dulaing. "But that's all part of its story." A scrubbed and washed-behind-the-ears Daniel O'Connell is expected to be unveiled within three weeks.