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The Púca statue will NOT be erected in Ennistymon - but other Clare towns might get it instead

The council u-turn follows an online survey of local opinion.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL will not proceed with the installation of the €30,000 Púca of Ennistymon artwork in the north Clare town.

Instead, the controversial sculpture is to be offered to other north Clare towns, villages and community operated tourism sites through an expressions of interest process to be announced shortly.

The council u-turn follows a council commissioned online survey of local opinion which found that from the 720 survey responses, 43.6% of respondents said they ‘really disliked’ the artwork compared to 34.3% who ‘really liked’ it.

In May of last year, the project was paused after a local outcry including parish priest, Fr Willie Cummins denouncing the bronze two metre high Púca from the altar at Sunday mass. 

Ennistymon based Senator Martin Conway (FG) said today that he welcomed the decision to relocate the Púca which is inspired by Irish folklore and the locality’s equine heritage. 

He said: “It is the right decision. The Púca wasn’t acceptable to Ennistymon and to the residents of Ennistymon. When you are dealing with spirits that have a mythical connotation, you have to be very careful with people’s feelings and people do take umbrage.” 

If something is divisive in a community, then it shouldn’t happen. We need to be careful about the statutes that we erect. 

The creator of the Púca, Aidan Harte said that a Council official had phoned him earlier in the day to confirm that the Puca will not be proceeding in Ennistymon.

Harte said that the Council official told him that the Puca in Ennistymon was untenable due to the threats of vandalism against it. 

Harte said that he was “disappointed” with the Council decision and that the online survey was a “nuts” way to decide the Puca’s fate in Ennistymon.

He said: “Once I heard about the poll, I thought ‘that’s it, it is doomed’. This was a gift to the opponents of the sculpture and fair play to them they have won the day. 

He said: “We live to fight another day and there are no hard feelings from me against the people who were set against it and I do hope they represent the feelings of the town otherwise it is a sad day.” 

Harte – who was a public commission to create the Puca for Ennistymon – said: “I am pretty confident that a good number of people who were against it would over time come to appreciate it if it was erected.” 

Mr Harte said that he will not proceed with any further work on the Púca until a fresh agreement is in place with the Council stating which alternative town or village it will be located in. 

He said: “It would be madness to proceed with the casting before knowing where it is going to go. If the Council has blinked once, why wouldn’t they blink again?” 

Harte said that he was not confident that the Púca will find an alternative location in Clare after what has happened in Ennistymon. 

Harte said that if another Clare community doesn’t want the Puca, he has solid offers for it from private individuals and also some institutions. 

“I want it to go somewhere where it is loved. I love the sculpture. I have sweated blood and tears to get it this far,” he said. 

Harte dismissed going down the legal route to have the Púca erected in Ennistymon. He said: “Why would I do that? That would be petty and small minded. I don’t want to cause more controversy in Ennistymon.” 

Ennistymon will not lose out on a new piece of artwork with a Council statement confirming that a new art piece for the Ennistymon project will be developed through a full public consultation process.

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    Mute Shelley Keary
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    Jan 11th 2022, 5:41 PM

    I think it’s brilliant and commiserations to the artist

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    Mute Rostyballs78
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    Jan 11th 2022, 6:07 PM

    I think it’s a fantastic piece. I don’t speak for the town but I’d be happy to have that down the road here in Ennis. It would look great along the riverbank.

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    Mute gordon o loughlin
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    Jan 11th 2022, 6:29 PM

    @Rostyballs78: absolutely same as. Don’t see the big deal

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    Mute Simon Kelleher
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    Jan 11th 2022, 6:02 PM

    Brilliant sculpture…part of out heritage..

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Jan 11th 2022, 7:17 PM

    What’s a priest doing denouncing a sculpture during a mass?

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    Mute Fachtna Roe
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    Jan 11th 2022, 8:43 PM

    @Michael Burke: It wouldn’t do to have imaginary creatures about the place other than the ones he’s selling. That’d start people asking questions. As it is, I hope everyone in the town of Inistiomán will now take the time to do a little research and start asking the man why there’s no historical evidence to support pretty much anything in the New Testament of that bibble of theirs. For example, why were there no contemporary reports of any of the ‘miracles’ attributed? If I saw someone do half the stuff today that was suggested, I’d bang off an email or two to share. But there’s nothing except their New Testament itself. We have original records of Sumerian times, from about 4,000 years ago, but nothing, from the magical time of 2,000 years ago. Ask that of Mr Priest!

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    Mute Golden Steph
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    Jan 11th 2022, 7:43 PM

    Oh Jesus never put art to a public vote sure the Eiffel Tower was rejected by the majority and now it’s a world renowned symbol. If it were up to the public to decide they’d have a statue of Ray Darcy go up instead.

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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Jan 11th 2022, 8:29 PM

    @Golden Steph: you’ll have seen, I assume, the number of statues with negative connotations around the World, that ended up thrown in harbours or up on pyres in recent times. I’m not saying this Púca statue was negative, but if that’s the feeling locally, then going ahead with it while knowing that it WILL be vandalised is just irresponsible.

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    Mute Golden Steph
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    Jan 11th 2022, 8:56 PM

    @Eoin Roche: Those were to do with slavers and the BLM protests. Can’t think this is the same in any way. But sure isn’t Luke Kelly adored by many and look what happens to his big curly head every week in Dublin.

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    Mute Ash O'Toole
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    Jan 11th 2022, 5:57 PM

    It’s an incredible piece imo, fit for the Boboli Gardens! It’s a shame people are so narrow-minded when it comes to public art in Ireland. Chin up Aidan, we’ll find a deserving home for the Púca yet!

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    Mute Larry Whack
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    Jan 11th 2022, 7:05 PM

    Ennistymon’s loss will be another town’s gain. It’s a very strong and distinctive piece, would like to see it in real life.

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Jan 11th 2022, 10:47 PM

    @Larry Whack: I will travel to see this piece

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    Mute Sean McCarthy
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    Jan 11th 2022, 6:18 PM

    When it comes to art, the more people dislike it the better it is. That’s the purpose of art in my opinion provoke discourse. Art should rarely be passive.

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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Jan 11th 2022, 6:57 PM

    I’ve seen a LOT worse in Ennistymon.

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    Mute Amadán
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    Jan 11th 2022, 5:37 PM

    Maybe people didn’t like it because it looked less like a pics and more like Sarah Jessica Parker on steroids.

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    Mute Dearbhla O Reilly
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    Jan 11th 2022, 6:13 PM

    @Amadán: that’s just nasty.

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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Jan 11th 2022, 8:26 PM

    @Dearbhla O Reilly: It certainly is if you’re a horse.

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    Mute Hans Vos
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    Jan 11th 2022, 5:48 PM

    It’s good that they take the public opinion into their account.

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    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
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    Jan 11th 2022, 9:28 PM

    That statue looks like it’s having more craic than the entire country has had in the past two years. Ennistymon, what’s wrong with yiz at all?

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jan 11th 2022, 9:58 PM

    They can put it where I live. I think it’s beautiful. There is nothing evil in it at all. It’s a pagan statue and that doesn’t mean paganism is automatically unholy. Personally, I love it.

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    Mute Lucy Legacy
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    Jan 11th 2022, 10:08 PM

    Your loss Ennistymon

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    Mute Mick Hyland
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    Jan 11th 2022, 11:33 PM

    Ah here, cut it out, let’s cut to the chase, Ill start the bidding, I want the Puca, €1,000 final offer

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    Mute Mick Hyland
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    Jan 12th 2022, 1:27 AM

    @Mick Hyland: are we right?

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    Mute Wade Wilson
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    Jan 12th 2022, 10:18 AM

    So we don’t get an erecti0n.

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