Anthony Foley died on 16 October 2016 while staying at a hotel in Paris with the Munster squad.
Sport in general, and Irish Rugby in particular, lost a legend the day that Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley died. Foley passed away in his sleep in October 2016 due to heart disease which had caused an acute pulmonary oedema.
Munster mourned the rugby great, who had captained Ireland on three separate occasions.
Axel’s loss is still felt today, but to honour his dedication to the game, Shannon Rugby Club commissioned a bust of Foley from renowned sculptor Seamus Connelly.
This incredible piece was presented to the public on 19 January 2018 and the video tells the story of Connolly’s detailed creation of the bust and why it was made.
Clip via RedEyeDigital
The piece also features Chairman of Shannon RFC, John Leahy, mentioning how the Foley family are “sewn into the fabric” of the club.
“We were so proud of Anthony in particular. We had a lot of celebrated players but Anthony was one of the greatest and one of the quietest. He was never brash or loud. The ironic thing is that he wouldn’t have liked all the fuss around an event like this.”
Shannon RFC tweeted the video, stating how proud they are to have it on display in their clubhouse.
Watch behind the scenes of the inception and creation of the fantastic memorial for Anthony Foley by artist/sculptor @seamusgti
We are incredibly proud to have it on display in our clubhouse @thomondstadium https://t.co/vEChwZTF06 pic.twitter.com/A7Aya2eKkp— Shannon RFC (@Shannon_RFC) January 22, 2018
Sculptor Connolly said he had been honoured to undertake this commission of such an evocative subject.
“I’d have an interest in rugby and Munster so I’d know what Anthony Foley represented,” he added.
“But it is exceptionally nerve-wracking to undertake a project like this given that he died so recently and leaves a wife and young children who all would have clear memories of him. I worked off a series of pictures and from those I picked a pose that represented him best to my eye.”
