08 APRIL 2013
A war mascot
monkey who died 70 years ago in a suspected booze-fuelled army lockdown in the Irish Republic
A statue of
Tojo the monkey was erected in Clonakilty, west Cork
A plaque
marking the site at White's Marsh was also unveiled, as the anniversary of the
local legend was celebrated.
Dena
O'Donovan, who runs O'Donovan's Hotel where Tojo was buried, said his arrival
and time in Clonakilty is one of the town's most-loved historical tales.
"It's a
bizarre story, you couldn't make it up," she said.
Tojo, named
after the Japanese prime minister of the time, was plied with food and drink -
alien to a monkey diet - as the locals welcomed him and the crew into the
community.
The crew was
being held at the hotel, which was used as a temporary army barracks during the
Second World War, until their identities were verified.
When Tojo died
a number of days after their arrival, he was given a traditional Irish wake and
funeral with military honours.
"Before
his burial, Tojo was laid on a bed in one of the rooms upstairs and people
queued throughout the hotel to see his body," Ms O'Donovan said.
"People
were genuinely devastated when he died. Some say his little body couldn't
handle the cold in Ireland
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