Call for statue of O’Neill clan leader in Dungannon

THERE have been renewed calls for the erection of a statue  of Irish chieftain Hugh O’Neill in Dungannon.

The O’Neill dynasty, perhaps one of the greatest of the Irish clans, ruled for more than 300 years from the local hilltop known as the Hill of the O’Neill.

The Independent representative for Dungannon DEA Barry Monteith first mentioned his hopes for a statue commemorating the chief of the O’Neills at a Development committee meeting held on May 15, as he had found out that fellow Irish chieftain Red Hugh O’Donnell will soon have his own statue in Lifford.

He stated at the time: “I see on the news there this week that there’s a statue of Red Hugh O’Donnell which is going to be erected in Lifford.

“As far as I know, that’s the second statue. I think there’s one in Donegal Town as well.

“There used to be a great connection between the Dungannon area and Donegal, in and around the anniversary of the [Flight] of the Earls.

“Now that connection seems to have fallen away slightly, and it might be worth revisiting.

“I do think we should start to investigate the opportunities for a statue of Hugh O’Neill in Dungannon, either in the town centre or on the Hill of the O’Neill, so I could ask maybe the officers to do a wee bit of scoping exercise as to is there potential funding available, how is Donegal funding theirs, and to bring a report to a future meeting.

“I think it’s a direction of travel we need to be moving in.”

A month on, at this month’s development committee of Mid Ulster District Council, Cllr Monteith renewed his call, stating: “I’m conscious it’s only a month, but I wanted to keep it in the officers’ minds.

“I had asked them to take a look at the possible feasibility or funding potential around the statue of Hugh O’Neill.

“I wonder, has anything been done since, or when we could expect some sort of report?”

Head of Community Development, Claire Linney, told the Dungannon representative: “No, there hasn’t been anything done yet, we have been looking at how we can build it in if we’re doing something in relation to [that].

“We haven’t actually got into engagement yet in relation to actually looking for funding and so forth, but we will come back on it.”