Luke Kelly fans woke up this morning to the teasing story of yet another blunder in the remembrance of the late musician. Irish news publisher The Journal played a teasing April Fool’s day joke today, reporting a new sculpture stuck in the Royal Canal. According to their report, a vessel transporting the new sculpture had been “wedged in both sides of the waterway close to Phibsborough”, and left officials fearing how long it would take to shift.
The mischievous Journal added in some worthy-sounding details to catch their unknowing reader up in the “truth” of their brilliant prank. They say the Royal Canal, which was completed in 1817, fell into disuse in the latter part of the 20th Century. However, after being restored in more recent years, the canal has been occasionally used for commercial transport, including the sculpture of Luke. It has “primarily been used as a means to transport sculptures and statues from the Ever Green studio in Co Longford”.
In recent years, two sculptures have been erected in the capital to commemorate Luke Kelly’s contribution to Irish music. Further plans to add a mechanism enabling the Sheriff Street sculpture to sing old Dubliners songs were abandoned in recent times. With all that has happened to memorial plans for the star over the years, the Journal were on to a winner with this joke article.
Fears were raised as the fake blockage caused widespread pandemonium, blocking further transportation plans for future memorials. The Journal raised the bar even further, adding that two marble busts of Luke’s bandmate, Ronnie Drew were set to be placed at the mouth of the Liffey, at the end of the North and South Bull Walls. “Dún Laoghaire Council’s plan to erect a bust of Hollywood actor Matt Damon was also held up by the wedged vessel, which was set to be unveiled in Dalkey this weekend”.
Hats off to the Journal for this one, the joke was on this content writer who fully believed the mock headline and added it to his morning suggestions! %P 👏👏👏👏👏
