A statue of comedy giant Brendan Grace should be erected, a former Mayor said yesterday.
Independent councillor and former Dublin Lord Mayor Christy Burke says the 68-year-old entertainer deserves the honour in his home town.
He was behind the 13-year campaign for a statue of the legendary Luke Kelly and added a figure of Grace would also be appropriate.
He added: “I would love to see a statue of people who contributed to this society and I’ve no doubt that one will go up.
“It was a long wait [for Luke Kelly’s]. I’ll leave that to the people of the Liberties but it would be appropriate to have a statue of such an icon, of such a legend.”
Thousands of mourners will gather in the capital on Monday for Brendan’s funeral at which singer Red Hurley will sing.
Brendan died aged 68 on Thursday after a short battle with lung cancer.
Cllr Burke said: “He was a great singer but he realised he had a talent for making people laugh and he explored it.
“And he listened to the everyday life of citizens on the street and he put it to use and bingo, it took off.
“People are so proud. He was a Dub from the Liberties – he was their property and they loved him and he loved them.”
Brendan’s funeral will take place at 1pm at the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra, Francis Street, The Liberties, central Dublin, followed by private cremation.
Cllr Burke said he believes the reason Grace, a dad of four and grandfather of three, was so loved was that he never forgot his roots.
He added: “The celebrity status and the VIP status didn’t bother him. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr, Liza Minnelli, it didn’t matte.
“The one trick or the one value that sticks out in my mind is that he genuinely never forgot where he came from.”
“These guys had it rough, they didn’t make it handy, they had to work for every cent. People who are genuine and who can identify with that’s a great gift.”
