PHOTOS: The statues of Our Lady around Ireland

THERE ARE HUNDREDS of statues of the Virgin Mary dotted around Ireland – on housing estates; at schools; near churches or railway crossings.

Most were put up in the Marian Year of 1954, when entire communities mobilised to erect a statue for their area.

Some have since fallen into disrepair – but many remain well-kept and regularly maintained by the people around them. Nevertheless their popularity has been on the wane – with the exception of July 1985 when a statue in Ballinspittle, Co Cork was reported to have spontaneously moved.

Photographer Steve Ryan travelled Ireland capturing the Marian statues – as well as Sacred Heart figures and other religious icons – for his exhibition Sometimes They Move.

The results of his work are on display this weekend at South Studios, Dublin 8 as part of the PhotoIreland Festival 2012. But we’ve got a sample of the images for you here:

Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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Sometimes They Move: The religious statues that are left
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