The centenary of Dublin writer Bram Stoker’s death was celebrated with the handing over a new portrait, by Aidan Hickey, to the Irish Writer’s Center, in Parnell Square.

Speaking at the event, Hickey told TV3 “Rumor has it that “Dracula” after Shakespeare and “The Bible” is the best known piece of English writing in the whole world. So it’s curious that in Dublin there’s so little attention paid.”

Dacre Stoker, the author’s great-grand nephew, said he was delighted with the “powerful painting”.
He added "What I love about it is the look Aidan has captured in Bram's eyes. It's the Stoker look which is a family trait."

Stoker told TV3 that the author’s life and works were greatly influenced by his life in Ireland.

He said “There was a lot of Dublin and Ireland in there. You must he was a student here in Trinity, he was a clerk at Dublin Castle, he then was the inspector of clerks and traveled all over Ireland so he’s mentioned many places of Dublin, of Ireland, street-life, dialects because he really was an Irishman and he keep that going within himself within his writing his whole life.”

He added that he’s only now coming to know more about Bram Stokers whole life including his artistic side. Bram Stoker was one of the founding members of the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club, of which Aidan Hickey is also a member.

The new portrait along with sketches by Bram Stoker himself will be exhibited in Dun Laoghaire over the next two weeks.

One hundred years after Bram Stoker’s death it seems fitting that his life in Dublin be recognized and his descendents have bigger plans. His great-grand nephew said his family wants pay for a statue of the writer to be erected in Dublin.

However he and Dublin City Council (DCC) are at loggerheads over its location. His family would prefer  it was in the city center.

Stoker has supported plans for his famous literary ancestor since 2009. He told the Irish Independent “You have statues to all your other famous Dublin authors so the first question I asked was, "where is the Bram Stoker statue?'”

The Stoker family turned down the offer by DCC to erect at statue at Marino Crescent, just outside the city, where Bram Stoker was born in 1847.

His great-grand nephew said “Marino would seem like a good site but we felt that it was not an easy place for tourists to visit.”

Brendan Flynn, the owner of The Church bar and restaurant seems to have come up with a solution. He has offered to accommodate the statue outside his establishment on Mary Street.

Stoker said “It's downtown where tourists pass every single day and accessible to everybody."