The Glendenning monument was erected in 1845 to commemorate the memory of George Glendenning (1770-1843), a local land agent and wealthy banker. It’s said the statue was erected not for the esteemed manner of his memory, but because he left a large sum of money in his will to have it erected.
The monument was known locally as ‘Big George’ and stood tall on the Westport landscape until the Irish Civil War, when Free State troops started using his head for target practice. The damaged statue remained in place until 1943 when the local urban council removed it and the Glendenning coat of arms, and inscriptions at the base.
In 1990 a statue of St. Patrick was erected on a restored plinth. The ruins of the original statue are held by the local Clew Bay Heritage Centre.
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