Selfie stands at Joe Dolan statue and Niall Horan mural proposed

A proposal to install selfie stands at two of the best-known tourist attractions in Mullingar received strong support from councillors at the June meeting of the Mullingar-Kinnegad Municipal District.

The motion, tabled by Cllr Emily Wallace, called on the district to install selfie stands at the Joe Dolan statue and the Niall Horan mural to help visitors capture photographs and promote Mullingar through social media.

In response, the council’s tourism officer said the proposal would be examined, taking into account factors such as the type of installation required, space availability, suitability of locations, costs and potential funding sources. Advice will also be sought from Fáilte Ireland on whether similar installations have proven popular at other tourist destinations.

Making the case for the initiative, Cllr Wallace said the stands would be a low-cost, durable and accessible way of enhancing the visitor experience while simultaneously promoting Mullingar to a global audience.

She said the popularity of attractions linked to Joe Dolan and former One Direction star Niall Horan offered a unique marketing opportunity for the town. “Niall has millions of fans worldwide,” she said. “The user-generated content and the free global marketing that we can get for Mullingar through social media platforms is something we need to be actively looking at.”

The councillor said the stands would allow visitors travelling alone, in groups, or with mobility difficulties to take photographs more easily and ensure nobody was left out of the picture.

She also argued that encouraging visitors to spend more time at attractions such as the Joe Dolan statue could benefit local businesses.

“It spills over into a longer visit in the Market Square, thereby increasing footfall and revenue for local cafés, restaurants and retail outlets,” she said.

Cllr Wallace added that the stands could incorporate branding and hashtags such as #Mullingar, helping photographs circulate more widely online and creating what she described as “free advertising” for the town.

The proposal received unanimous backing from members.

Cllr Mick Dollard supported the proposal, describing it as another example of how artistic and heritage features can contribute to tourism. During the discussion he suggested other monuments, including the Jadotville memorial, could potentially benefit from similar facilities.

Cllr Julie McCourt admitted she had not previously been aware that such stands existed, but after looking them up believed they could work well in Mullingar. “They’re quite compact and would certainly fit well within the Market Square considering the amount of people that are always taking pictures there,” she said.

She suggested similar installations could also be considered at scenic locations around the lakes and near the diving boards at Lough Owel.

Cllr Bill Collentine said he regularly sees visitors taking photographs at key landmarks in the town and believed the stands would be a useful addition. He suggested the 1916 memorial and the Jadotville memorial could also be considered as potential locations.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly welcomed the idea, joking that councillors and officials were “all feverishly Googling selfie stands” during the debate.

“This is a very good initiative from Cllr Wallace,” she said. “It doesn’t look like an expensive thing, so we can look into it and see what we can do.”

Closing the discussion, Cllr Wallace said the concept was simple but effective. “I see it every day in the Market Square, people on their own trying to get a photograph,” she said.

“We can set it up so it takes in the beauty of the Market Square and they’re getting the picture, while at the same time Mullingar is being showcased to a global market.”