Councillors question proposed plans to create a memorial for survivors of abuse in Waterford
City Hall
Two local councillors have questioned the intentions behind Waterford Council’s move to commission a brand-new memorial in the city to honour survivors of abuse.
The sculpture will be located in the Memorial Garden on the Mall, which is already home to memorials honouring those who fought in the Spanish Civil War, those who participated in the 1916 Rising, and the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.
The Council said it is envisaged that the new public art commission will create a “meaningful and enduring place of remembrance, while also representing a message of freedom and hope for generations to come.”
It is estimated that €50,000 has been allocated for the sculpture.
Sinn Féin councillor John Hearne said recently that he believes it's “an awful lot of money” to be spending, and that the memorial risks being vandalised.
He said he believes it would have been more appropriate to create a small forest, which would serve as a memorial and as an effective means to address climate change.
Director of Services with Waterford Council, Ivan Grimes, said to Cllr Hearne that there has been no history of damage to existing memorials in the Council’s dedicated Memorial Garden.
He said that the local authority is confident that no vandalism would take place.
Mr. Grimes added that the proposed figure of €50,000 may not be used in its entirety, and that an assessment planning team has been established to look at proposals.
Meanwhile, Social Democrat councillor Mary Roche also questioned the memorial.
“I think it’s a little bit patriarchal for us to initiate something like this, as if that’s going to tick a box,” she said.
Cllr Roche added that she did not know about the memorial, nor did some victims of abuse in Waterford.
Chief Executive of Waterford Council, Sean McKeown, reiterated that the artist who creates the piece will be contracted to engage with survivors before the design and installation.
