MAKEOVER FOR ARAGLIN’S ‘MOVING STATUES’
Statues of the Virgin Mary and St Bernadette, formerly accommodated in Araglin Grotto, have moved - but only to the residence of local community activist, Richard ‘Dick’ Norris.
By general consensus, the grotto and its statues were in need of a makeover and it fell to Dick and his colleagues in Araglin Community Council to do the needful.
Using a bit of local ‘pull’ and having negotiated high gates, security fencing, CCTV and Dick’s very alert guard dog ‘ Rubble’, we got a sneak preview of the statues before they are returned to the grotto. According to Dick, it’s been a considerable undertaking.
“We needed quite a bit of manpower. The statues, Mary in particular, are solid concrete and extremely heavy, only for Tom Keane’s lifting equipment, it wouldn’t have been possible to remove them. The statue of Mary was located high up in the grotto and it took 3 men to get Her out,” he said.
“With regard to the painting of the statues, I’ve only ever did a bit of painting around the house, so, I was understandably nervous about taking it on. I must mention the help I got from Kevin (Moloney) in Albany Paints, Mitchelstown.
“I went in to him and explained what I was about to do. He couldn’t have been more helpful, he advised me on the best types of paint for the job and the colours that would be most suitable, he was brilliant. Hopefully, people will be pleased with the end result,” Dick told TheAvondhu during a break from his painstaking work.
On the evidence of what we’ve seen, the public will be highly impressed with Dick’s considerable skill and attention to detail.
AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY COUNCIL
By his own admission, Dick is ‘only a cog in the community council machine’. Under the chairmanship of local farmer, Aidan Leddy, Araglin Community Council has recruited some very able women and men, who have shown an appetite for work and a determination to get things done.
As a result of these efforts, the area is looking cleaner and neater than ever before - litter picking, tree planting, creation of flowerbeds, enhancement works, additional lighting and improved signage are just some of their successes to date.