Sir, – Half a century ago the American ambassador to Ireland was approached in relation to the original John Henry Foley statue of Emmet in the Hall of Fame in Washington; he pulled strings and a copy was made to be erected behind the railings in St Stephen’s Green facing the College of Surgeons, near where Emmet was born.
For some unexplained reason, the statue was subsequently re-sited quite some distance from its intended position, further into the Green on the remoter side of a narrow path. This is a pity because it is really a splendid piece of art: the proud stance and the detailing (note the veins on the back of the hand) make this one of the most important of Foley’s works.
Could not the powers-that-be demonstrate their cultural sophistication by having Emmet moved back to his original site, where the more general public could see and admire what we Irish people are capable of? – Is mise,