Moving Statues

Sir Osis of Liver. · 04-08-2013 07:45PM #1

Just watched a clip on Reeling in the Years about the Moving Statues in the 80"s.
Anyone old enough to remember the mass hysteria that swept across Ireland at the time?
Did you or your family go to see them?
Perhaps you witnessed a concrete Mary breakdancing on her plinth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_statues
Twas all the go for a while.

Poor Uncle Tom · 04-08-2013 07:48PM

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Anyone old enough to remember the mass hysteria that swept across Ireland at the time?

Is that what it was, Ted?

Galwayguy35 · 04-08-2013 07:48PM

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Just watched a clip on Reeling in the Years about the Moving Statues in the 80"s.
Anyone old enough to remember the mass hysteria that swept across Ireland at the time?
Did you or your family go to see them?
Perhaps you witnessed a concrete Mary breakdancing on her plinth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_statues
Twas all the go for a while.

Yes I remember it, no we didn't go to see them and no never saw Mary dancin.

padma · 04-08-2013 07:49PM

Yes, I remember piling in to the car and off to ballinspittle.

Karl Stein · 04-08-2013 07:53PM

Body-popping statues were all the craze back then.

Imagine the Godblessusandsavus Virgin Mary doin this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIi4kPfZ1dw

kneemos · 04-08-2013 07:56PM

It was an interesting social phenomenon.

Sam Kade · 04-08-2013 07:59PM

I went, when almost everyone in Ireland went to Ballinspittle and most saw no movement the novelty wore off as quickly as it started.
The world was supposed to end on the 15th of August that year 1985.

Galwayguy35 · 04-08-2013 08:03PM

I remember people here in Galway going to see what they thought was Jesus face on the wall of a church, apparently 100s went to see it.

Think it was in Fahy.

Menas · 04-08-2013 08:08PM

And in breaking news, the celebrated actor John Wayne has died.

Elbaston · 04-08-2013 08:11PM

Wasn't there some talk of a miraculous moving statue on Grafton street.

Links234 · 04-08-2013 08:15PM

The angels have the phone box! :eek:

Mozzeltoff · 04-08-2013 08:17PM

It happened two years before I was born, my father used to pull the living piss out of his cousins that went down to see it! :P Also my mate lived a few miles outside Rathkeale and I remember the whole hub bub about the tree stump in the church yard..

Sunnyisland · 04-08-2013 08:18PM

Yes I remember them, thought it was weird then think it is weird now.

WilyCoyote · 04-08-2013 08:21PM

Didn't go to look but most of the people I knew did at one time or another. Ballinaspittle was the daddy of them all. And more than once I've been told by normally sane people that the statue did move.
The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Tweej · 04-08-2013 08:31PM

Don't blink.

Vizzy · 04-08-2013 08:35PM

The one in Ballinspittal had to be taken down.

Kept getting knocked down when it was running across the road.

I'll get me coat

TheBody · 04-08-2013 08:37PM

Do ye remember the tree stump in Rathkeele? Laughable stuff altogether!

Mozzeltoff · 04-08-2013 08:40PM

TheBody wrote: »

Do ye remember the tree stump in Rathkeele? Laughable stuff altogether!

My mate lived only a few miles from Rathkeale when it was discovered. Place was mobbed!

TheBody · 04-08-2013 08:48PM

Mozzeltoff wrote: »

My mate lived only a few miles from Rathkeale when it was discovered. Place was mobbed!

I remember seeing the crowds on the RTE news. Just mad.

Sir Osis of Liver. · 04-08-2013 08:50PM

Mozzeltoff wrote: »

My mate lived only a few miles from Rathkeale when it was discovered. Place was mobbed!

Its still mobbed only now with cream crackers.

Mozzeltoff · 04-08-2013 08:55PM

Did they ever put up the fence around the blasted thing? I remember locals complaining about vandalism..someone drew a cock and a smiley face on it!

wasn't me I swear

jprboy · 04-08-2013 09:05PM

My brother-in-law drove his mother and aunt to Ballinspittle in 1985.

He didn't believe it at all but just took them there because they were very keen to see the action.

He swears that he saw it move but the 2 old ladies didn't see a thing - they were not impressed that the non-believer saw what they should have!

TINA1984 · 04-08-2013 09:34PM

I'm originally from the area. Far be it from me to diss the local people who did see the statue move, but they all tended to be of the nutty devout type.

Ballinspittle was that kind of place - lots of Catholicism - but now has blow ins from the city and crusties to balance things out a bit.

Duggy747 · 04-08-2013 09:54PM

Was covered in Brass Eye :pac:

becost · 04-08-2013 10:00PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Was covered in Brass Eye :pac:

Aaawww, you beat me to it! Absolute classic.

Another classic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwylBRucU7w

Mariasofia · 04-08-2013 10:05PM

Yeah I remember about fifteen of us being bundled into a neighbours car to go to see it. Brought sandwiches with us and all. It was worth the outing though as we witnessed a miracle........... it was a miracle that we got there and back alive!! My younger sister still swears to this day though that Mary winked at her

.

Legs.Eleven · 04-08-2013 10:08PM

Ireland is completely bonkers in so many ways. It's fcuking brilliant. You genuinely couldn't make it up. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!! Mad, mad, mad.

arse..biscuits · 04-08-2013 10:22PM

I went down as a child and I saw the statue move. I'm an atheist and don't believe in any paranormal bullsh1t but I definitely saw it move.

RikkFlair · 04-08-2013 11:55PM

TheBody wrote: »

Do ye remember the tree stump in Rathkeele? Laughable stuff altogether!

It's been downgraded to a class 2 relic after a local tried to ride it recently.

spankysue · 04-08-2013 11:58PM

I remember telling a non national guy that I worked with about the moving statues once, he didn't really get it, he asked me how they were getting from place to place :P

Mr. G · 05-08-2013 01:07AM

Ahh Ted, we didn't move it, it was upgraded to a Class Two Relic.

Now will you have some tea? Arraghh go on go on go on. There's Cocaine in it, ohh no no no not Cocaine, Raisins!!

Moving Statues

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