THE MISSING BEARS HAD ACTUALLY RELOCATED TO A BETTER PLACE
THESE BEARS WITH ATTITUDE DECIDED TO MOVE TO TALLAGHT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL [PHOTOGRAPHED FEBRUARY 2009]
Patrick O’Reilly’s distinctive bronze bears have long captured the Irish public imagination, blending a whimsical, textured teddy-bear aesthetic with a deeper, often melancholic commentary on human nature. Known affectionately by locals as the "three bears with attitude," this specific trio of larger-than-life figures became a striking, familiar focal point in Dublin’s Docklands during the height of the Celtic Tiger era.
For years, many who remembered the sculptures were under the firm impression that they had completely vanished or been stolen. However, recent local accounts and research have revealed a much more uplifting second chapter to their story.
The Point Village and the Economic Crash
The original disappearance of these three sculptures is deeply intertwined with a turbulent chapter in recent Irish history. Positioned around the Point Village (near the 3Arena area), the bears were meant to complement a vibrant, modern urban hub. However, when the catastrophic economic crash hit Ireland in 2008 and 2009, the grand ambitions for the Docklands ground to a sudden halt.
As property developers went under and major commercial projects faced severe delays, the Point Village was left frozen in time. In this bleak financial climate, many business enterprises collapsed, corporate entities scaled back their investments, and the landscape of Dublin began to alter.
Because many prominent sculptures were actually privately owned or loaned by developers rather than funded by municipal authorities, they began to disappear from the city streets as assets were liquidated or reshuffled. The three bronze bears fell victim to this post-crash reality. By early 2009, a cynical new title had surfaced for the installation: "Three Bears One Gig No Porridge". The name perfectly mirrored the economic desolation of the area—a nod to the nearby music venue juxtaposed with the reality that the prosperous "porridge" of the boom years had run out. Shortly after this period, the bears were removed entirely, leaving many to assume they were lost for good.
From Disappearance to Donation
The mystery of their whereabouts was finally solved when it emerged that the bears had not vanished into a private warehouse permanently, nor had they been stolen. Following the post-crash restructuring of the surrounding developments, the Crosbie family officially donated the iconic bronze trio to the State.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) was tasked with finding a meaningful new setting for the sculptures, leading to a wonderful outcome in January 2020.
A New Chapter at Tallaght University Hospital
The sculptures found a permanent new home on the campus of Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) in southwest Dublin.
The relocation was intentionally planned around children and families, positioning the bears directly outside the hospital's Paediatric Urgent Care Centre (part of the Children’s Health Ireland network).
To welcome the trio, the hospital's foundations funded the creation of a colourful wild flower meadow garden surrounding the sculptures. The bears are arranged to look as though they are striding purposefully through the grass toward the hospital entrance.
They remain highly visible to anyone arriving at the campus by foot or car, and can even be seen from the windows of multiple inpatient floors and the age-related healthcare units. While they may have left their original post by the Liffey under the cloud of an economic crash, they are still very much in public view, providing a bit of character and a reassuring, whimsical distraction for patients and visitors.
Patrick O’Reilly’s distinctive bronze bears have long captured the Irish public imagination, blending a whimsical, textured teddy-bear aesthetic with a deeper, often melancholic commentary on human nature. Known affectionately by locals as the "three bears with attitude," this specific trio of larger-than-life figures became a striking, familiar focal point in Dublin’s Docklands during the height of the Celtic Tiger era.
For years, many who remembered the sculptures were under the firm impression that they had completely vanished or been stolen. However, recent local accounts and research have revealed a much more uplifting second chapter to their story.
The Point Village and the Economic Crash
The original disappearance of these three sculptures is deeply intertwined with a turbulent chapter in recent Irish history. Positioned around the Point Village (near the 3Arena area), the bears were meant to complement a vibrant, modern urban hub. However, when the catastrophic economic crash hit Ireland in 2008 and 2009, the grand ambitions for the Docklands ground to a sudden halt.
As property developers went under and major commercial projects faced severe delays, the Point Village was left frozen in time. In this bleak financial climate, many business enterprises collapsed, corporate entities scaled back their investments, and the landscape of Dublin began to alter.
Because many prominent sculptures were actually privately owned or loaned by developers rather than funded by municipal authorities, they began to disappear from the city streets as assets were liquidated or reshuffled. The three bronze bears fell victim to this post-crash reality. By early 2009, a cynical new title had surfaced for the installation: "Three Bears One Gig No Porridge". The name perfectly mirrored the economic desolation of the area—a nod to the nearby music venue juxtaposed with the reality that the prosperous "porridge" of the boom years had run out. Shortly after this period, the bears were removed entirely, leaving many to assume they were lost for good.
From Disappearance to Donation
The mystery of their whereabouts was finally solved when it emerged that the bears had not vanished into a private warehouse permanently, nor had they been stolen. Following the post-crash restructuring of the surrounding developments, the Crosbie family officially donated the iconic bronze trio to the State.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) was tasked with finding a meaningful new setting for the sculptures, leading to a wonderful outcome in January 2020.
A New Chapter at Tallaght University Hospital
The sculptures found a permanent new home on the campus of Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) in southwest Dublin.
The relocation was intentionally planned around children and families, positioning the bears directly outside the hospital's Paediatric Urgent Care Centre (part of the Children’s Health Ireland network).
To welcome the trio, the hospital's foundations funded the creation of a colourful wild flower meadow garden surrounding the sculptures. The bears are arranged to look as though they are striding purposefully through the grass toward the hospital entrance.
They remain highly visible to anyone arriving at the campus by foot or car, and can even be seen from the windows of multiple inpatient floors and the age-related healthcare units. While they may have left their original post by the Liffey under the cloud of an economic crash, they are still very much in public view, providing a bit of character and a reassuring, whimsical distraction for patients and visitors.
BEARS WITH ATTITUDE