Miniature bronze replica of iconic Tralee statue stolen from Ashe Hall

A MINIATURE bronze replica of one of Tralee’s most iconic statues has been stolen from the Ashe Memorial Hall, along with a small amount of cash.

Estimated to be worth approximately €5,000, the stolen piece is a scale model of the statue of Rose of Tralee Mary O'connor and William Pembroke Mulchinock, which currently stands in the Rose Garden in the town park.

According to Tralee gardaí, the valuable bronze scale model was taken from tourist office at the Ashe Memorial Hall in the early hours of Wednesday morning last, when thieves gained access to the side of the building by breaking a glass door.

Garda Tim O’donovan said that those responsible may well have been aware of the value of the statue and planned the robbery in advance.

“Because it’s made of bronze it’s worth a lot of money and these people may have seen it earlier or cased the place first,” he said.

The model, commissioned to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Rose of Tralee Festival, measures approximately two and a half foot tall by one foot in diameter. Garda O’donovan is urging antique dealers to be on the lookout for the distinctive pieces, which he said may be offered for sale by the thieves.

“We are asking anyone who may be approached by someone looking to offload this to get in touch with gardaí in Tralee,” he said.

Curator of Kerry County Museum, Helen O’carroll, confirmed that the perpetrators gained access to the building by smashing the glass door at the entry to the tourist office. She added that those responsible also got away with a small quantity of cash.