Rosemount man lifts lid on plans for 60m digital statue in Dublin

A Rosemount man is one of the lead figures behind a massively ambitious project for Dublin - the erection of a giant digital figure as tall as Liberty Hall, capable of changing its appearance to take on that of various well-known figures.

Businessman Paddy Dunning, owner of Grouse Lodge studios in Rosemount, spelt out the details of his dream to RTÉ’s Fran McNulty on Prime Time last week, and revealed that a prototype digital statue is currently on its way to Nevada, where it will be unveiled shortly.

Mr Dunning’s vision is that the Dublin statue be erected in The Docklands, and while admitting it will cost around €29m, he believes it could become Ireland’s fifth most popular tourist attraction.

“What we want to do with the giant is give back to the city. We want to bring people back into the city,” said Mr Dunning. It’s lost an awful lot of people since the riots and since Covid. And from my experience, 40 years in the centre of the city, it really needs something big. It really needs something mega, and we think we’ve got it in the giant project.”

Mr Dunning said the company would not be seeking money for the project from Dublin City Council, but that it would be attempting to raise equity from the markets. A feasibility study had shown that over time, he said, the installation would pay for itself.

The statue was, he continued, just a portion of a larger plan for the site that would include a hub, an indoor immersive visitor experience and community-focused elements such as rehearsal studios and performance spaces.

“We want to build rehearsal studios, a place that’s accessible for the local community, the inner city community in that area and the wider arts,” he said, adding that the outdoor space would remain open to the public and could host events, concerts, and festivals.

“It has amazing abilities,” he said of the digital statue. “It talks, it sings, it recites poetry and the visitor then can go into the immersive space.”

He also pointed to the project’s potential revenue streams, including tourism and possible advertising, as key to ensuring its financial viability.

The proposal remains at an early stage, and any development of the George’s Dock site will be subject to further consultation and planning processes before a final decision is made by Dublin City Council.