December date for Joe Dolan statue launch

From Sunday, December 7, internationally renowned entertainer and Mullingar man Joe Dolan will be immortalised in the centre of his home town, after the launch of a new statue commissioned to commemorate his life and music.At Monday"s October meeting of Westmeath County Council, Cllr. Joe Whelan, Chairman, officially announced that the bronze monument would be unveiled during a special gala event celebrating Mr. Dolan"s lifetime achievements.For several months, a special committee - which includes the Dolan family, local politicians, Council officials, Mullingar Chamber of Commerce and local artist, Lucy Tormey - has planned the delivery of the monument from start to finish.Plans for a suitable memorial began in January of this year, just week"s after the singer"s untimely death on December 26, 2007. Mullingar Town Council led the way, with Cllrs. Frank McIntyre and Mick Dollard calling for a monument to be erected to celebrate Mr. Dolan"s life and career.After the Commemoration Sculpture Committee was established, prospective designers competed to have their artistic representation of Mr. Dolan chosen. The successful artist, Carl Payne, was awarded the commission, in association with Genesis Fine Arts.The new monument is a life-sized, three-dimensional image of the singer in one of his familiar poses. It is sculpted in bronze, and will be sited at the Mount Street end of Mullingar"s Market Square.A miniature representation of the statue was unveiled to members of Westmeath County Council during the summer.'Since Joe"s untimely death in December last year, he has been acknowledged nationally and internationally for his wonderful contribution to the world of music and entertainment, and his loss to the music business is much lamented,' Cllr. Whelan said on Monday evening.Joined by the late singer"s brother and band colleague, Ben, the Council Cathaoirleach will unveil the statue on December 7 during a gala event, which kicks off at 2pm. The launch will also feature a performance by past members of The Drifters, along with music and entertainment by Mullingar Town Band.Cllr. Tom Allen, who proposed that the Council back the erection of a memorial to Mr. Dolan at its first meeting earlier this year, expressed his delight that the project had progressed to its final stages.'It"s good that the launch is happening so close to Christmas, to more or less coincide with the first anniversary of his passing,' Cllr. Allen said. 'I hope to see thousands of people in attendance, and a big turnout would be no surprise, given the amount of people who visited his grave for his birthday last week.'Cllr. Mick Dollard said that the Dolan family are 'very happy' with the manner in which plans for the monument had proceeded. 'I"d like to pay tribute to the artist, Carl Payne, and Genesis Fine Arts, as I feel that the statue really exemplifies Joe"s facial expressions,' he said.A biography detailing the life and career of the Mullingar singer will go on sale shortly. "Joe Dolan: The Official Biography", has been penned by former Westmeath Examiner journalist, Ronan Casey.