While Sinéad O’Connor is a legend, she is not an exception to the 20-year waiting period to get a statue, according to Shane Coleman. 

There are calls to erect a statue of the legendary singer in Dublin city following her death last year. 

Dublin City Council typically requires someone to be dead for 20 years to be eligible for a statue. 

Lord Mayor James Geoghegan, however, has said the rules “should be broken” for O’Connor and backed calls for a memorial. 

On Newstalk Breakfast today, Shane said is a “legend” - but she doesn’t need a statue. 

“We don’t need to put up a statue of her to cement her legacy,” he said. 

“Her legacy is there in her work and in 20 years' time there will be a statue, I have no doubt.” 

Sinéad O’Connor at the Cambridge Folk Festival, 01-08-2014.

Shane said the Council shouldn’t make “exceptions” to their rules because if you can bend them, you ultimately break them. 

“It’s a good rule,” he said. “It takes the emotion out of it, the immediacy out of it. 

“We could be putting up statues for everybody if we didn’t have time to pause. 

“I think the pause gives time to reflect and say yes that person’s legacy is worthy of a statue or naming a park.” 

Sinéad O'Connor's legacy

Co-presenter Ciara Kelly said the 20-year rule also allows people to “assess the legacy” of those who have died “with a bit of distance”. 

“Let's be honest, 20 years allows things to come out that might not have come out over the course of someone’s lifetime,” she said. 

“I think it's quite possible there would have been all sorts of things erected for Eamon Casey around the time of his death.

“And now we’re talking about moving his body.” 

A wax figure of Sinead O'Connor unveiled at the National Wax Museum, 25-07-2024. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Despite that, Ciara said she thinks O’Connor is worth breaking the rules for. 

“Sinéad O’Connor lived her life so openly and publicly, she spoke about troubles,” she said. “There isn’t much we don’t know about her.” 

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said the decision to erect a statue is up to the Commemorations Committee, which will be appointed in September. 

Shane said his biggest concern is making sure any statue of Sinéad doesn’t look like her wax figure.