Community 'outraged' as Luke Kelly statue is vandalised
A statue of the singer Luke Kelly has been vandalised on Dublin's Sheriff Street.
Pictures on social media show the face of the former Dubliner marked with black paint.
The late great Luke Kelly's statue been destroyed by thugs in an area where he was born and raised.
— DublinGAA (@Dubs_gaa) June 25, 2019
Surely there's CCTV to identify who these muppets are? pic.twitter.com/20QAAfXee4
The statue was one of two unveiled earlier this year to mark the 35th anniversary of his death.
Dublin City Councillor Christy Burke, who was involved in the commissioning of the statues as mayor in 2014, said the community is appalled.
Luke Kelly# 35th anniversary and Statue unvailing in Dublin pic.twitter.com/z8yTO6qKmI
— Thomas (@Thomas11153546) January 30, 2019
Councillor Burke said: "The Luke Kelly statue has been destroyed and vandalised by thugs where they designed dark sunglasses on the face of the great, late Luke Kelly.
"Now, I'm not pointing the finger at anybody but I'm hoping that CCTV is hoping to pick up the culprit or culprits. I know that the community is outraged."
“I know that the family will be hurt and devastated tonight and I know that the community is absolutely devastated,” he said.
“I am absolutely outraged; I actually feel so disturbed inside that I am virtually shaking."
“Really and truly, I never dreamt that this would happen.”
He called on anyone in the local community with any information on the culprits to pass it on to Gardaí.
Someone has had a go at the Luke Kelly statue 😞 pic.twitter.com/fKDfhrQHLl
— Neil Cotter (@NewsNeil13) June 25, 2019
“It is a sad evening at the end of the day but we won’t give up,” he said.
“The graffiti will be removed; the community will stand together, stronger and stronger and I know that they will continue to police the Luke Kelly statue.”
