Labour call for commemorative statue to Seán O’Casey
- Dublin spokesperson Annie Hoey urges celebration of great Irish playwright
Labour Dublin spokesperson Annie Hoey has called for a commemoration of Ireland’s great playwright Seán O’Casey.
Speaking at the Labour Party Think In in Maynooth, Senator Hoey said:
“100 years on from his famous trilogy – the Shadow of a Gunman, The Plough and the Stars and Juno and the Paycock – it’s about time we celebrate the stories and lives documented by Seán O’Casey.
“O’Casey’s work details the lives of working class communities in Dublin, and the impact the neglect of the upper echelons of society had on them. Deeply political and committed to equality for the working classes, O’Casey’s vibrant works remain as relevant today as they were 100 years ago.
“O’Casey is undoubtedly one of our greatest contributors to the arts, yet there is no commemoration to him in his native city.
“Given that the State did not manage to acquire the house he wrote the trilogy in, 422 North Circular Road, it would be fitting to commemorate his work and contribution to the arts in another way.
“Of course, there is also the option to celebrate one of O’Casey’s most beloved characters Juno Boyle, the ever suffering woman and mother amongst mothers of Juno and the Paycock.
“Dublin is a city with a rich cultural history and soul. We need proper lasting cultural and social spaces that Dubliners and visitors to our city can enjoy.”