Pat’s all, folks: Giant statue of St Patrick holding pint of Guinness removed from Temple Bar pub after complaint
A four-metre-tall Saint Patrick statue holding a pint of Guinness that appeared in Temple Bar has been removed following an intervention from Dublin City Council (DCC).
The sudden installation of the statue above the well-known Temple Bar pub yesterday inspired mixed reactions. Some decried it as tacky, while others saw it as a fun way to cater to the large tourist contingent in the area as St Patrick’s Day approaches.
Saint Patrick’s pint was swiftly covered, however, with the bar’s manager, Tom Cleary, saying on Newstalk yesterday that it was intended to be a chalice, but a Guinness pint was put in his hand instead.
"I think somebody painted it black in transit, and we may have got in a little trouble for that,” he said, but declined to elaborate on who raised the issue.
"I’ll let you figure that out yourself,” he said.
Ireland’s patron saint didn’t spend too long atop the pub, however, as this morning he was spotted being loaded onto a trailer and moved out of the area by workmen.
A spokesperson for DCC confirmed that the authority was behind the sudden removal, saying that they became aware of it yesterday morning.
"Following discussions between our Planning Enforcement Section and the owner of the premises he agreed to remove it by lunchtime today,” they said. "The structure has been removed, as was agreed.”
When asked about the statue’s critics yesterday, Mr Cleary said “there’s always going to be people begrudging, no matter what you’re doing in life, in any business.”
“I think if they’re not talking about you, you’re not doing it right. And to people who are saying they don’t like it, I mean, tough,” he added.
Mr Cleary said that in his view, the installation didn’t need planning permission.
"We have the Christmas tree there year-round, and of course, you have to get pre-approval for whatever you want up there. We had a Christmas tree for the last number of years,” he said.
"We’ve got the lights, we have the shamrocks, we even had a couple of reindeer on the roof as well this Christmas. But everything is pre-approved.”
The Temple Bar pub has become a major visitor hotspot over the years, featuring live music, bright lights and a webcam live-streaming its frontage online 24 hours a day.
However, it has been criticised for high pricing and image as a ‘tourist trap’.
Diageo, the drinks firm that owns Guinness, did not respond to requests for comment.