Mad Milkman

Mad Milkman

THE CHARIOT OF LIFE

KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN

I exited the complex via a stairs that led unto Abbey street only to discover that that the art installation known as “Talking Heads” by Carolyn Mulholland has been removed.

Until recently one could access a shopping centre via an entrance behind, or at least close to, this water feature.

The shopping centre was originally named The Irish Life Mall and later the Irish Life Shopping Mall up until 2013. It was described as a small shopping arcade located between Talbot Street, Northumberland Square, and Abbey Street in Dublin. Operating for some years with only a few trading units, it latterly primarily formed a public passage between Talbot and Abbey Streets. As of 2021, permission was granted for a development which would replace the mall with a single supermarket and close the public passage between the streets, and this proceeded in 2022.

Oisin Kelly's large copper-bronze sculpture depicts the figure of a charioteer which represents reason controlling the emotions. It was unveiled in 1982, the year following the sculptor's death, on the Irish Life Centre plaza, on Dublin's Lower Abbey Street.

This is Kelly’s largest work and it was hidden behind hoarding in the courtyard of the Irish Life building on Abbey Street for an extended period.

The restoration work was completed in 2017 and it appears to have been moved closer to Abbey Street which is a good thing. I think that it looks much better than it did and I do hope that the water continues to flow because the majority of water features in Ireland are dry.
  • KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN [CHARIOT OF LIFE BY OISIN KELLY]
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  • KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN [CHARIOT OF LIFE BY OISIN KELLY]
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  • KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN [CHARIOT OF LIFE BY OISIN KELLY]
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  • KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN [CHARIOT OF LIFE BY OISIN KELLY]
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  • KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN [CHARIOT OF LIFE BY OISIN KELLY]
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  • KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE MAD MILKMAN [CHARIOT OF LIFE BY OISIN KELLY]
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