Dublin’s wax museum has announced it is withdrawing a figure of Sinead O’Connor amid criticism from her family and members of the public that it looked “nothing like her”.
Many reacted with shock when the waxwork figure was unveiled on Thursday that it did not resemble the Irish singer.
The museum’s team met on Friday morning and decided to pull the waxwork, admitting that it “can do better” and pledging to create a “more accurate representation”.
Her brother John O’Connor said he was shocked when he first saw it online and said that it did not look like her “at all”.
Speaking on RTE Radio’s Liveline programme on Friday, after it was announced the figure would be withdrawn, he said he was not made aware that a waxwork of his sister was to be unveiled this week.
“When I saw it online yesterday I was shocked. I thought it looked something between a mannequin and something out of the Thunderbirds.
“I thought Sinead would have been very fond of looking well, and she certainly did, and if it was supposed to be a representation of her in her early 20s when she did Nothing Compares 2 U, it just looked nothing like her. I thought it was hideous.”
He added: “A friend of mine said to me last night that he’d seen better in Shaws (department store), in the window.”
Mr O’Connor said if people wanted to honour her memory they should put a statue of her in Dublin, and queried how something like this could be done.
“There’s also enough visual stuff out there, in terms of videos and photos, that show what she did look like.”
He said it was particularly upsetting to speak about the issue on Friday, which marks the one-year anniversary since the famous Irish musician died at the age of 56.
“I lost my sister and to me that’s important. Since she’s not here to defend herself or to speak for herself I just took it upon myself to contact you about it.”
Paddy Dunning, the wax museum director who said he was a long-time friend of Sinead O’Connor, apologised to the family.
Dunning said that the wax museum sculptor delivered the figure the night before it was unveiled.
He said the artist had done “fantastic work” in previous years but has not been feeling well and had retired.
“When I had a look at the statue, I walked in to launch it, and when I saw it, I didn’t get that feeling that I normally get from PJ’s fantastic work,” he told Liveline.
“My heart sunk a bit. We went ahead with the launch and I didn’t sleep last night.”
Asked by Mr O’Connor on the radio programme if they were “doing this to get publicity”, Mr Dunning said “no absolutely not”.
“The wax museum runs itself without publicity. We have a launch and that’s it.”
He added: “I had to take the decision to cancel the statue and we’ll go again and we’ll remodel and we have to do better on this occasion.”
Mr O’Connor said: “Particularly, I thought it was really, really bad timing the day before her anniversary to do that. I can only speak for myself here, I’m upset enough.
“You might not have slept last night, but I certainly didn’t when I see unfair and invalid representation of my sister.
“As I said earlier, the world may have lost a star, and they did, but I lost my sister. It just should not have been put there even without checking with somebody ‘is this all right?’.”
In a statement, the wax museum said that in response to the public’s feedback, “we acknowledge that the current representation did not meet our high standards or the expectations of Sinead’s devoted fans”.
“We have listened closely to the reactions and agree that the figure does not fully capture Sinead’s unique presence and essence as we intended.”
It added: “Sinead O’Connor’s impact on Ireland and the global music community is immeasurable, and our goal has always been to honour her in the most fitting and respectful manner.
“We deeply appreciate the public’s love for Sinead and share in their admiration for her remarkable career and contributions.
“With this in mind, we are committed to creating a new wax figure that better reflects Sinead O’Connor’s true spirit and iconic image.
“Our team of skilled artists will begin this project immediately, ensuring that every detail is meticulously crafted to celebrate her legacy appropriately.
“We extend our gratitude to everyone who provided their feedback and assure you that your voices are heard. We look forward to unveiling a new figure that truly honours Sinead O’Connor and her extraordinary impact.”
