A NEW statue of St Finbarr of Cork will be unveiled on a remote Scottish island on his Feast Day next month.

The bronze sculpture on the Outer Hebrides Isle of Barra replaces a concrete one of the sixth century saint which is in danger of crumbling.

The 1,200-strong community will gather on Friday September 25th – the saint’s annual feast day – for the unveiling more than 1,400 years after his death.

Saint Finbarr of Cork is the patron saint of the island. He introduced Christianity there and died in 623AD. Parish priest Canon John Paul MacKinnon will celebrate mass and preside over the unveiling and blessing.

The new sculpture is a replica of a mid-1970s statue created by local artist Margaret Somerville, which was in danger of falling apart and tumbling into the sea.

A fundraising group launched a campaign in 2024 to raise £100,000. The target was met following local fundraising events and an incredibly generous donation of £85,000 from Barra-raised Captain Iain Macneil and his wife Kat Heathcote Macneil MBE.

The ceremony will see the island’s school children come together to perform some specially composed music and also create Saint Barr themed artworks to celebrate the occasion.

Consul general of Ireland in Edinburgh, West Cork native Jerry O’Donovan, will also be in attendance.

West Cork’s Jerry O’Donovan, Consul General of Ireland in Edinburgh.

Mr O’Donovan said: ‘I am delighted to attend this commemoration of the ancient links that bind Ireland and Scotland. This is a commemoration of the ancient links that bind Ireland and Scotland. The deep ties that bind us today are built upon the historic movements of people between these islands.

‘As a West Cork native, I am particularly proud that the life and legacy of St Finbarr, who remains a hugely significant figure across all of Cork, will be commemorated in Barra.’