A specially commissioned bronze statue of the founder of the Argentine navy, Co Mayo-born Admiral William Brown, has been left behind in Argentina, because no money was forthcoming for its transportation to Ireland.
Last year the Argentine government and Irish Naval Service commissioned two identical bronze statues of Admiral Brown, one for Dublin and one for Mayo, to be made in Buenos Aires and then taken back to Ireland on the LE Eithne.
The Irish Naval Service vessel made a historic journey to South America last spring and the Dublin statue was collected in Buenos Aires and transported back to Ireland . However, there were no funds available to get the Foxford statue released and on board.
The official opening of the Admiral Brown monument at the Dublin docks is scheduled to take place tomorrow at Sir John Rogerson's Quay in Dublin by Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
The president of the Admiral Brown Society in Foxford, local business man J J O'Hara, told members of the society and local councillors this week that the Foxford statue is still in Buenos Aires. "It's hard to believe, but it's true. It was a very embarrassing situation for me in Buenos Aires last March. We were to make a payment for the statues and their transportation, each was costing us €20,000.
"We expected to get the funds from Mayo County Council for the Foxford statue, but found out on the day, that was not to happen. Elected councillors on Mayo County Council had approved €50,000 in funding for the Admiral Brown project in Foxford earlier this year, so I was sure that it was a done deal," Mr O'Hara claimed. "We had no option but to leave behind the Foxford statue. We managed to pay for the Dublin one," he said.
Mayo county secretary John Condon said the local authority could not accede to Mr O'Hara's request to deposit money in an offshore account for this purpose. "This is public money and must be accounted for and can only be released when the proper procedures are met," Mr Condon said.