Funds sought to move navy artifacts

RARE naval artifacts stored in Dublin for five years will at last be moved to Co Mayo if locals in Foxford can raise €17,000 this month.

A priceless gift presented to the people of Foxford in Co Mayo by the Argentine navy has been locked away in Dublin docks since 1998.

No one is willing to pay the €17,000 to move two containers of cannons, small firearms and other artifacts to Mayo. The gift was donated in honour of Foxford-born Admiral William Brown, who established Argentina’s navy in the 1800s.

The cannons will form the centre- piece of the Admiral Brown Memorial Park in Foxford, which will open next year.

The Department of Tourism, Arts and Culture has refused to pay the bill despite a plea from Foxford. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has also urged Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue to resolve the problem.

The president of the Admiral Brown Society, JJ O’Hara, said the cannons and guns were rare historical artifacts.

“All we have got over 10 years are promises, but not a penny of support. The department says it’s not interested in these guns, but some of them date from the 1800s and were recovered from the River Plate,” he said.

Several fundraising events have been organised in Foxford this month to help transport the cannons to the village. Next week four officers from the Argentine naval training ship, the Libertad, will visit Foxford.

The Admiral Brown committee plans to build a commemorative park in honour of the town’s most famous son.

“We were approved for funding of €250,000 some years ago and we’re hopeful we may be able to still draw that down,” Mr O’Hara said.

“Our priority at the moment, though, is to have these artifacts released and we will be trying to do that over the coming weeks,” he said.