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Olympic gold medallist Ronnie Delany has said he is “honoured and privileged” that a statue of him has been unveiled in his native Arklow, Co Wicklow.
The statue, unveiled on Friday, is the third honour the county has bestowed on Mr Delany, following a civic reception in 2019 and the naming of a housing estate, Delany Park, in Arklow in 2019.
The statue depicts Mr Delany in a running singlet bearing the Irish crest and the number 102, which was the number he was assigned when he won gold in Melbourne.
The statue was commissioned by Wicklow County Council from renowned sculptor Paul Ferriter who was tasked with bringing to life the Olympic event.
In 2006 Mr Delany was granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin and was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by University College Dublin. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland awarded him an honorary fellowship in 2009 and in 2013 Villanova University appointed and proclaimed Ronald M Delany Doctor of Humane Letters.
On Friday, President Michael D Higgins sent a special message for the unveiling of the statue, describing him as a “true sporting legend who has been a wonderful ambassador for Ireland”.
Kieran Mulvey, chairman of Sport Ireland, said Mr Delany is an iconic figure in Irish athletic sporting history: “His sporting achievements are legendary and he has served as an inspiration to successive Irish athletes who have gone on to win international success in Olympic and world championships.”
Welcoming guests at the unveiling, the leas-cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Tommy Annesley, said the statue was “no more than Ronnie deserves and I am honoured to be here this afternoon to join Ronnie and his family and friends to pay this very special tribute to one of Arklow’s finest”.
He added: “Statues are very rare, and are reserved for special people who have achieved something out of the ordinary – and Ronnie did exactly that.”
Cllr Annesley thanked all of the sponsors who contributed to the commission and thanked the sculptor Paul Ferriter for his skilful depiction of Mr Delany in his prime.
Chief executive of Wicklow County Council Frank Curran said the decision taken in 2016 to commission a statue to afford the ultimate accolade to Arklow’s Olympic gold-medal winner was one of the easiest decisions ever made by the council.
He said: “It is a fitting tribute to an athlete who beat all others in the 1,500m final in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.”