BELFAST City Council has given the green light for the installation of two bronze statues on the grounds of Belfast City Hall to commemorate two radical Belfast women.
The Council's Planning Committee approved the proposal on Tuesday night for 3m high bronze statues of Winifred Carney and Mary Ann McCracken, which was agreed by councillors back in June of 2021. They will be the first statues of women from a republican tradition to have statues erected at City Hall.
In October last year, it was announced that Council was seeking an artist to design the statues.
🟩 Two iconic radical Belfast women who sought #equality and played their part in changing the course of Irish history. Stretching from #1798 to #1916 .💚 #UpNaMná
Absolutely chuffed!
Well done all involved at council. https://t.co/WE77CgJrJy pic.twitter.com/2PorDT28dy— The 1798 Belfast & Dublin Walking Tours (@1798walkingtour) August 15, 2023
Born in Bangor in 1887, Winnie Carney was an Irish suffragist, trade unionist and advocate of Irish independence. She was present with James Connolly in the GPO during the Easter Rising and was a Sinn Féin election candidate in 1918. She died in 1943.
Mary Ann McCraken was an abolitionist and social reformer whose political activism began with the United Irishmen. Born in Belfast in 1760 into a prominent liberal Presbyterian family, her brother Henry Joy McCracken was hanged in the city centre in 1798.
SDLP councillor Paul Doherty welcomed approval for the statues.
"It is great to see recognition for two pioneering women who left a significant mark on our city and Irish history," he said.
"It's right their contribution will be honoured in this way and will help keep their memory and spirit alive to inspire future generations."
