Four statues that were removed from the front of Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel have been reinstated.
They were taken down during the summer, after concerns were raised that they may depict slave women.
Some photographs of the restored statues. pic.twitter.com/mRy7UfVUYQ
— Ronan McGreevy (@RMcGreevy1301) December 15, 2020
I'm Very Pleased The Statues Are Back - McCartan
The bronze statues were put back on their plinths at the corner of St. Stephen's Green last night.
Management decided to take them down in July, while Black Lives Matter protests took place across the United States.
It was feared that two of them depicted Nubian slaves, from a region in Ancient Egypt.
Local Councillor Paddy McCartan says the protected structures should never have been removed:
"They were moved in relation to the perception that they were slaves."
"This was a misunderstanding and it was an over-reaction from the Shelbourne Hotel's owners.
"I'm very pleased first of all that the statues have returned but also that the integrity of the planning process has been upheld."
However an expert review was undertaken by UCD's art history specialist Professor Paula Murphy to 'fully understand' them.
The statues, which have been a feature of the hotel's facade since the late 1860s..
They have had decades of dirt and grime cleaned off and are now back in their original spot.
