Luke Kelly

Vera Klute, 2019

Location: North end of Luke Kelly Park (formerly Linear Park), near the junction of Sheriff Street Upper and Guild Street Dublin.

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This sculpture of the world-renowned musician and singer Luke Kelly is located in the Northeast Inner city, the area in which he was born. It was commissioned with funding from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government under the Per Cent for Art Scheme.

The sculpture of Luke Kelly is an oversized portrait head made from stone and metal with a height of over 2 meters. It is freestanding and mounted onto a large concrete plinth, situated in the Luke Kelly Park, adjacent to Guild St. The pose is based on a performance of ‘Scorn not his Simplicity’ on the programme ‘The McCann Man’ in 1974. The sculpture shows Luke Kelly with his eyes closed, immersed in the middle of the song with his head tilted downwards. By showing the singer at this intimate moment, it captures the raw emotion and intensity of his performance.

It was unveiled by President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins on 30th January 2019 to mark the 35th anniversary of his death.

There was a documentary The Two Lukes created in 2019 RTÉ production. The documentary follows the story of why two statues were created, showcasing the different artistic approaches used by the sculptors and highlighting Luke Kelly's enduring legacy in Irish culture.