A rocky landing for Icarus…

ICARUS, the statue which had pride of place in the Market Square until three years ago, is finally going to have a new home on the Rocky Road Roundabout.
There was concern that a suitable location for Icarus would not be found within the town but Ennis Town Council has agreed that the Rocky Road Roundabout will be a good location for the statue. The N85 Relief Road which crosses through the roundabout forms the boundary between Ennis town and Ennis environs.
“We would have had a fight on our hands if it was going to go outside the town because it was gifted to Ennis town and, as such, has to stay in Ennis town. I’m happy now that it will have a good location and will look well on the Rocky Road Roundabout,” Mayor of Ennis Frankie Neylon said.
Councillor Brian Meaney put forward a motion at this week’s Ennis West Electoral Area committee meeting asking that the committee ask Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council to decide on a site for the Icarus statue. He said that he was delighted that Icarus is “finally coming to rest on the Rocky Road”.
The statue was designed by Irish sculptor John Behan and was gifted to Ennis Town Council by the former Shannon-based company Guiness Peat Aviation in 1990, to mark Ennis’ 750-year anniversary. He titled the statue Daedalus but it has become known as Icarus. The statue was taken from its original location at the Ennis Market in 2006 to make way for the Christmas tree.