THE hunt is still on for a bronze statue, worth £4,500, stolen from Newry Canal Towpath last month.
The statue had been commissioned by the Newry Canal Joint Development Committee which operates in four council areas. The statue had been one of four created by Leitrim artist, Niall Walsh and was intended to represent the heritage of the canal route.
Erected on July 7, within two weeks the Newry statue at Steenson’s Bridge had been stolen and the plinth it had been placed upon destroyed.
Eamon McManus, Deputy Director of Technical & Leisure Services at Newry & Mourne District Council, spoke to the Democrat about the theft.
“The idea behind the statue had been to commemorate the industrial architecture of the canal. While the statue had some commercial value, its real value was in the artistic merit it contained.
“The fact that it disappeared makes us think that it was stolen for scrap value of the metal, rather than simple vandalism.”
The police were informed at the time of the theft but the missing statue has so far failed to turn up.
Mr McManus concluded: “We certainly hope that the police come up with something as the statue was intended to give a concrete record of the historical life of Newry Canal.”