Hospital statue to stay in place

A controversial Sacred Heart statue is to remain in its ground-level position outside Killarney Community Hospital, An Bord Pleanála has decided.

There was uproar in the town in early 2010 after the HSE removed the statue from the roof of the hospital, despite the protests of local politicians and clergy.

The HSE said it took down the statue, which had been in place for around 70 years, for health and safety reasons.