A SINN FÉIN councillor is seeking that a statue of the late, legendary singer Sinéad O’Connor be erected in Dublin city.

Leslie Kane, a local representative for Ballymun-Finglas, asked Dublin City Council this week about the possibility of erecting the statue. The issue previously arose in August after reports that the council were seeking policy changes to do so.

O’Connor died of natural causes in July 2023 in London, UK. She was reposed in Bray, Co Wicklow shortly after her death and buried in Deansgrange, Dublin.

A sculpture, erected in Dublin’s Wax Museum last year to mark the first anniversary of her death, was pulled from the exhibition the following day after Sinéad’s brother, John, called RTÉ Radio One’s Liveline to express his unhappiness with the waxwork.

Shortly after, discussions took place within Dublin City Council on whether a statue could be unveiled in the city, and where. Currently, an artist or noteworthy person must be deceased for at least 20 years before a public sculpture can be dedicated to them.

Kane told The Journal that discussions on changing the policy came up again after Irish boxer Kellie Harrington won her second Olympic gold medal during the summer. Councillors have yet to be updated on whether or not any changes will be implemented.

“There’s a lack of representation of female statues in the city,” Kane said, adding that the history of important Irish women is not “visible” in Dublin.

“It’s something that I would like to see more of. And residents of my area have been onto me as well regarding the issue – it’s something that’s close to people’s hearts.”

There was cross-party support for the policy to be changed in August last year, with then-Dublin City Lord Mayor James Geoghegan also saying that he was in favour of the policy being redrafted so a statue can be dedicated to the singer.

Kane said she hopes the new Fine Gael Lord Mayor, Emma Blain, will continue her predecessor’s commitment to changing the policy – adding that she will also continue to engage with the council on the issue.

The Journal reported last August on discussions taking place to erect a statue of O’Connor in Bray. O’Connor grew up in various parts of Dublin and later bought a home in the seaside Wicklow town.

Green Party councillor Erika Doyle said that there were no formal plans in place but added that she would “love to see” the singer represented in Bray.

She believes that any future plans for a monument to be erected in O’Connor’s honour should be done after consultation with her immediate relatives, who still live in the area.