Phil Lynott Statue — Harry Street, Dublin

The bronze statue of Phil Lynott on Harry Street in Dublin city centre — unveiled in August 2005 — is one of Ireland's most beloved public artworks and the primary memorial to the front man of Thin Lizzy, one of the most significant bands in the history of hard rock. The statue, sculpted by Paul Daly, depicts Lynott in performance pose with his bass guitar and is set on Harry Street, close to Bruxelles pub on Harry Street (formerly Kehoe's), which was one of Lynott's favourite Dublin haunts. It has become a gathering point for fans and a landmark of Dublin music culture.

Phil Lynott was born in Birmingham in 1949 to a Brazilian father and an Irish mother and grew up in Crumlin, Dublin, raised by his grandmother Sarah Lynott. His mixed-race background in 1950s Dublin made his childhood difficult, but he became one of the most charismatic figures in Irish music — the first Black Irishman to become a major rock star, and a man whose connection to Dublin was profound and expressed throughout his career in songs like 'The Boys Are Back in Town', 'Whiskey in the Jar', and 'Dublin'. Thin Lizzy's combination of hard rock guitar work, Celtic melody, and Lynott's lyrical romanticism was genuinely original.

Lynott died on 4 January 1986 at the age of 36, from heart failure and pneumonia brought on by drug addiction. The Dublin music community's love for him has never diminished. The annual Vibe for Philo tribute concert takes place in Dublin each January around the anniversary of his death. The statue on Harry Street is freely accessible at all times and is perpetually decorated with fresh flowers, guitar picks, and other tributes. Nearby Bruxelles pub has also embraced the connection.