Plans are afoot to erect a statue in Drogheda to Mother Mary Martin, the founder of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. A committee has been formed to plan the monument to the nun who made a pioneering and far-reaching impact on bringing improved healthcare to many countries.
If the statue goes ahead, she will be the town's first well-known woman to be honoured in sculpture.
Former mayor Frank Godfrey said the intention of the committee is to proceed with commissioning an artist and finding an appropriate location for the statue.
“Mother Mary made an outstanding contribution to Drogheda and to the world,” he remarked. “Drogheda was blessed to have her, she set up the hospital in the 1950s and she was loved by the people of the town”.
“Given the current state of our health services, she could teach the minister for health a thing or two,” he added.
Mr Godfrey said that the pioneering nun “gave so much to this town and the world, it's only right that she be recognised for all the good she did”.
The ex-mayor was one of the main driving forces behind the erection of statues in recent years to commemorate two of the town’s sports heroes, Olympic boxer Tony 'Sox' Byrne and handball champion Joey Maher.
Mother Martin’s order was said to be 'delighted' at the prospect of their founder being honoured with a statue and Mr Godfrey said he hoped to win support for the project from Drogheda Borough Council and friends of the Lourdes Hospital which she founded.
He said West Street would be an ideal location for a statue to Mother Martin but somewhere in the vicinity of the hospital would also be appropriate.
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(Source: CIN)