Kerry priest Father Gearóid Ó Donnchadha has welcomed the decision by Kerry County Council to grant permission for a statue of St Brendan the Navigator at Samphire Island at the entrance to Fenit harbour.
The new bronze statue of St Brendan, who was born near the village of Fenit in 484, will stand 12 feet tall on a four-foot plinth. The arm of the saint will point towards Newfoundland which St Brendan reputedly reached in 540.
If not appealed successfully to An Bord Pleanála, it will be constructed by Killarney sculptor and artist Tighe O'Donoghue of Glenflesk, who is responsible for much of the artistic work and public sculpture along the N22. The priest's original proposal two years ago was for a 23-ft statue on an eight-foot plinth. This was rejected by both Kerry County Council and An Bord Pleanála on appeal.