James Connolly sounds familiar

IF STATUES could talk, you wouldn’t imagine they’d sound like Mrs Brown, but the James Connolly statue at Beresford Place might.

That’s because Finglas funnyman Brendan O’Carroll is providing the voice for a new Talking Statues initiative that brings ten of the capital’s most famous statues to life in a novel way.

The concept couldn’t be simpler. Take your smartphone, swipe on the plaque next to the statue and you will immediately get a call back.

Depending on the statue, the voice at the other end could be Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Cúchulainn or if you’re on Beresford Place, it’ll be James Connolly.

And the person you’ll be hearing bringing the republican and socialist leader to life will be O’Carroll. 

It’s not as bizarre as you may think because while he’s made a global success of Mrs Brown, the BAFTA award winner has a keen love of local history and is fascinated by all things connected to 1916.

In fact, he retraced the rebellion through his family’s footsteps for his acclaimed, deeply personal BBC documentary on the Rising, My Family at War.

O’Carroll isn’t the only celebrity providing his voice for Talking Statues, which was created by Sing London and is supported by Fáilte Ireland and Dublin City Council.

Brenda Fricker voices the ‘Hags with the Bag’ on Lower Liffey Street while James Joyce on North Earl Street is spoken by Gabriel Byrne.

Daniel O’Connell on O’Connell Street is brought to life by Ruth Negga while down the road, Jim Larkin is voiced by actor Stephen Rea.

Love/Hate’s Peter Coonan is the voice behind Cúchulainn at the GPO and you can have Joe Duffy talk to you if you visit George Salmon at Trinity College.

The words spoken by the famous faces are also written by well-known names including Patrick McCabe, John Banville and Roddy Doyle.

For more details see www.talkingstatuesdublin.ie.