Broadstone

HAS IN REALITY BECOME MORE ISOLATED

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Because of its colour, or should I say total lack of colour, this Marian statue is not very visible from The Western Way or from Constitution Hill. I know some who are aware of it but did not know that there was a narrow walkway behind it and that there were steps leading up from the street below.

As a result of the the construction of the LUAS tram stop and the Broadstone Gate plaza access to statue should be easier that it was in the past but unfortunately the raised space directly in front of the old Broadstone railway station is uninviting and somewhat unattractive. It, also, acts as a magnet for anti-social activity especially the over consumption of alcohol.

There are hundreds of statues of the Virgin Mary dotted around Ireland and there are at least 26 so called Marian Statues in Dublin and most were put up in the Marian Year of 1954, when entire communities mobilised to erect a statue for their area.

As far as I can tell the majority are are still in good condition and regularly maintained by the people around them.

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