Plans for Princess Grace and Pirate Queen statues in Mayo town approved

PLANS to erect two statues in Newport to commemorate the late Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco and Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley have been approved by Mayo County Council.

Newport Business Association is behind the project, and they propose to market Newport as the town of 'The Two Graces'.

Newport has the only ancestral link to Princess Grace and a long historical link with Grace O'Malley. Prince Albert of Monaco has indicated he will attend the unveiling of his mother's statue.

Planning permission has been granted by the council for both, with the Princess Grace statue to be erected on Castlebar Street, adjacent to the viaduct, and the Granuaile memorial at Carrowbaun.

Princess Grace's grandfather emigrated from Newport in the 1800s. The princess made three visits to Mayo but sadly plans for a holiday home were never realised.

A planning submission to the council said the statue would honour her life and association with Co. Mayo. It would also be of benefit to tourism in Newport.

The design of the statue has been approved by the royal family in Monaco.

There is currently a boat in situ at the location where the Granuaile statue is to be located, which is used as an ornamental flowerbed. Newport Tidy Towns have agreed that the boat will be removed to allow the statue be erected there.

The project, say Newport Business Association, will give the town its own unique identity, increasing revenue in the form of increased tourism activity.