DROGHEDA VIADUCT

18/10/2023

THE BOYNE VIADUCT [A LANDMARK FEATURE]

The Boyne Viaduct, a 30-metre-high (98 ft) railway bridge, or viaduct, that crosses the River Boyne in Drogheda, carrying the main Dublin–Belfast railway line.

The viaduct was designed by the Irish civil engineer Sir John Benjamin Macneill using new mathematical stress analysis developed just a few years before by William Bindon Blood at Queen's College, Galway. Construction began on the bridge in 1853 and was completed in 1855. It was the seventh bridge of its kind in the world when built, and considered one of the wonders of the age.

Before its construction, railway passengers had to make their way through the town of Drogheda from the stations on either side of the River Boyne until the construction of a temporary wooden bridge, which allowed trains to cross the river from May 1853 until the completion of the viaduct.

2005 marked the 150th anniversary of the viaduct, and Iarnród Éireann and the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland ran a special service operated by a steam locomotive between Drogheda railway station and Dundalk.

The viaduct comprises twelve stone arches on the south side and a further three on the north. It is located near a tight curve, which necessitates the slowing of trains as they approach. The central Pratt truss bridge was originally made of three iron spans that originally carried two tracks. When the bridge was refurbished in the 1930s, new steel girders replacing the ironworks were constructed inside the original bridge before the iron structure was removed. This allowed trains to continue running throughout the renewal process; however, the new bridge was no longer wide enough to carry two tracks. The northbound and southbound tracks were interlaced so that one rail lay between the tracks in the opposite direction, as points and a single track would have required a signal cabin on the north side of the viaduct.

In 1932, the three spans over the river were replaced with the current iron trusses. These were built by the "Motherwell Bridge Engineering Company" with G.B. Howden as the chief engineer.

When the tracks were relaid in the 1990s, singling was introduced, and the interlaced tracks were replaced with a single track over the viaduct and points at each side.

Over €6.1m was awarded for the refurbishment of the Boyne Viaduct financed through the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme. The project involved several essential refurbishment activities, including steel repairs and full repainting, renewal of work over the viaduct, waterproofing of the deck, and installation of a new drainage system. The project was officially completed on 7 December 2015.

ANGLO NORMAN CASTLE IN SWORDS

09/09/2023

SWORDS NORMAN CASTLE [I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED AS IT CLOSED FIVE MINUTES BEFORE I ARRIVED]

The castle was built as the manorial residence of the first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, John Comyn, around 1200 or a little later in Swords, just north of Dublin. The castle was never strong in the military sense, but is unusual in that the perimeter wall of 305 metres is far larger than normal for an Irish castle. The walls enclose a large pentagonal walled area of nearly 6,000 m2 (1.5 acres) with a tower on the north, probably the Constable's residence, and an impressive gateway complex on the south. Within the castle were the archbishop's apartments, apartments for knights and a banqueting hall. The warder may have occupied the quarters to the left of the gate, while to the right was the janitor's room with the priest's room overhead. The adjoining chapel, built in the late 13th century, was probably used as the archbishop's private oratory. Other buildings, recorded for an inquisition in 1326, have now vanished, including the great hall on the east side of the enclosure.

HOWTH LIFEBOAT STATION

20/08/2023

HOWTH RNLI LIFEBOAT STATION [SATURDAY 19 AUGUST]

For nearly 190 years an all-weather lifeboat has launched into Dublin Bay from Howth and the crews have been honoured with 20 awards for gallantry. Today the station operates both a Trent class lifeboat and an inshore D class lifeboat.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It is one of several lifeboat services operating in the same area.

Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, it soon afterwards became the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck under the patronage of King George IV. On 5 October 1854, the institution’s name was changed to its current name (RNLI), and in 1860 was granted a royal charter.

The RNLI is a charity in the UK and in Ireland and has enjoyed royal patronage since its foundation, the most recent being Queen Elizabeth II until her death on 8 September 2022. The RNLI is principally funded by legacies (65%) and donations (28%), with the remainder from merchandising and investment. Most of the members of its lifeboat crews are unpaid volunteers.

The RNLI is based in Poole, Dorset. It has 238 lifeboat stations and operates 444 lifeboats. RNLI lifeguards operate on more than 200 beaches: the lifeguards are paid by local authorities, but the RNLI provides equipment and training. The institution also operates flood rescue teams nationally and internationally, the latter prepared to travel to emergencies overseas at short notice.

Considerable effort is put into training and education by the institution, particularly for young people; in 2013, more than 6,000 children a week were spoken to by education volunteers about sea and beach safety, and over 800 children a week received training. Crews rescued on average 22 people a day in 2015. The institution has saved some 140,000 lives since its foundation, at a cost of more than 600 lives lost in service.

SCOUTS DEN IN LEIXLIP

15/08/2023

SCOUTS DEN IN LEIXLIP [THIS WAS A CHURCH THAT WAS BUILT IN 1750]

The present Church of Our Lady’s Nativity dates back to 1833 and replaced the previous church which was built around 1750. This 1750 church was built on the banks of the Rye and is now the scouts’ den for the Leixlip Scout Unit.

The River Rye or Ryewater is a tributary of the River Liffey. It rises in County Meath, flowing south-east for 19 miles. Although the river has been the subject of arterial drainage schemes, it is generally fast flowing over a stoney bottom. The Rye's major tributary is the Lyreen.

THE ANNIE LEE BRIDGE 16 APRIL 2016

21/07/2023

THE ANNIE LEE BRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHED 16 APRIL 2016 [THE OLDEST FOLLY IN ST ANNE'S PARK]

Annie Lee Bridge is a folly in St Anne's Park, Dublin, Ireland. It was built in 1839 by Benjamin Lee Guinness to commemorate the birth of his daughter, Anne Lee Guinness. The bridge is a sham ruin in the form of a bridge and tower, and it is located near the entrance to the park. It is one of twelve follies in the park, all of which were built by the Guinness family.

The Annie Lee Bridge is a popular tourist attraction, and it is a popular spot for photography. The bridge is also a popular spot for weddings and other events.

Here are some additional facts about Annie Lee Bridge:

• It is the oldest of the twelve follies in St Anne's Park.
• It is made of limestone and sandstone.
• It is 20 feet high and 10 feet wide.
• It is located near the Naniken River.
• It was restored in 2016.
• If you are visiting St Anne's Park, be sure to check out Annie Lee Bridge. It is a beautiful and historic landmark that is sure to impress.

Here are some other things to know about St Anne's Park:

• It is a 176-hectare park located in Raheny, Dublin.
• It is one of the largest parks in Dublin.
• It is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, and birds.
• It is a popular spot for walking, cycling, and picnicking.
• It hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including concerts, festivals, and sporting events.

GRANITE STATUE OF LORD ARDILAUN

30/06/2023

GRANITE STATUE OF LORD ARDILAUN IN ST STEPHEN'S GREEN [SIR ARTHUR EDWARD GUINNESS]

The statue in my photographs, located near the tram stop, was unveiled in June 1892. The Irish Times reported that the large presence of “the trades and of the working people” showed the gratitude of ordinary Dubliners to Ardilaun. The fine granite statue was sculptured by Thomas Farrell who was also the sculptor responsible for the statues of William Smith O’Brien and Sir John Gray, both of which can be seen  on O’Connell Street today.

Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, 2nd Baronet (1 November 1840 – 20 January 1915), known as Sir Arthur Guinness, Bt, between 1868 and 1880, was an Irish businessman, politician, and philanthropist, best known for giving St Stephen's Green to the Dublin Corporation for public use.

Ulysses by James Joyce includes several references to Ardilaun, as Joyce considered him to be a prime Irish example of Victorian conventional respectability. The porter brewed by the "cunning brothers" – he and his brother Lord Iveagh – was: "a crystal cup full of the foamy ebon ale which the noble twin brothers Bungiveagh and Bungardilaun brew ever in their divine alevats, cunning as the sons of deathless Leda. For they garner the succulent berries of the hop and mass and sift and bruise and brew them and they mix therewith sour juices and bring the must to the sacred fire and cease not night or day from their toil, those cunning brothers, lords of the vat."[15] "Bung" referred to the stopper in a wooden barrel of beer. In the "Nighttown" section, the breasts of a girl who is undressing are "Two ardilauns", meaning "two high islands", a play on the Gaelic meaning of the word.

In 1902-03 Joyce also wrote literary reviews in the Irish Daily Express which was owned by Ardilaun.

In 1871 Lord Ardilaun married Lady Olivia Hedges-White, daughter of The 3rd Earl of Bantry, whose family home is Bantry House in County Cork; this was a happy but childless marriage.

He died on 20 January 1915 at his home at St Anne's, Raheny, and was buried at All Saints Church, Raheny, whose construction he had sponsored. Those present at the funeral included representatives of the Royal Dublin Society, of which Lord Ardilaun was president for many years, the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland, the Irish Unionist Alliance, and the Primrose League. His barony became extinct at his death, but the baronetcy devolved upon his nephew Algernon.

On his widow's death Saint Anne's Park passed to Algernon's cousin Rev. Benjamin Plunket former Bishop of Meath, who sold most of the estate to Dublin Corporation in 1937, keeping Sybil Hill as his residence. The corporation has preserved much of the estate as one of Dublin's most important public parks, though the house itself burnt down in 1943, with the remaining lands used for housing. The outcome of Ardilaun's extensive tree plantings came into focus a century after his death, when in 2019 the park was given Green Flag status, and was listed as one of the world's top five urban public parks.

AHSOKA TANO MURAL

30/06/2023

PRODUCING A HIGH QUALITY AHSOKA TANO MURAL [CAN TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IF ONE NEEDS TO MEET THE AUGUST 23 DEADLINE]

Chancery Street at Fegans is a good location if you are interested in murals (even if they are very commercial).

Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She is a Force-sensitive Togruta female who was trained as a Jedi Padawan by Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka was a gifted student and a skilled warrior, and she quickly rose through the ranks of the Jedi Order. She fought alongside Anakin in many battles, and she helped to save the Republic on numerous occasions.

However, Ahsoka's life changed forever when she was framed for a bombing attack on the Jedi Temple. She was falsely accused of treason, and she was forced to go on the run. Ahsoka eventually cleared her name, but she was disillusioned with the Jedi Order. She left the Order and became a freelance warrior, fighting for justice and peace in the galaxy.

Ahsoka continued to fight for good after the fall of the Republic. She helped to establish a network of rebel cells that would eventually become the Rebel Alliance. She also fought in the Battle of Endor, where she helped to defeat the Galactic Empire.

Ahsoka Tano is a complex and well-developed character. She is a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She is also a skilled warrior and a powerful Force-user. Ahsoka Tano is a fan-favorite character, and she is sure to continue to be a major player in the Star Wars universe for years to come.

BUILDINGS INCLUDING GLASSHOUSES

21/06/2023

BUILDINGS INCLUDING GLASSHOUSES [BOTANIC GARDENS IN DUBLIN 21 JUNE 2023]

I have a Sigma 105mm and it is large and heavy and unfortunately it attracts a lot of unwelcome attention (I had a nasty incident last Sunday) so I do not get much opportunity to use it however the Botanic Gardens is Glasnevin is an ideal location so as the weather was beautiful early in the morning I decided to visit for a few hours.

The gardens include some glasshouses of architectural importance, such as the Palm House and the Curvilinear Range.

The Great Palm House is situated in the southern parts of the gardens, and is connected to the cactus house on its west side, and the orchid house on its east side. The main building measures 65 feet in height, 100 feet in length and 80 feet in width.

The Palm House was originally built in 1862 to accommodate the ever-increasing collection of plants from tropical areas that demanded more and more protected growing conditions. The construction was overseen by David Moore, the curator of the gardens at the time. The original structure was built of wood, and was unstable, leading to it being blown down by heavy gales in 1883, twenty-one years later. Richard Turner, the great Dublin ironmaster, had already supplied an iron house to Belfast Gardens and he persuaded the Royal Dublin Society that such a house would be a better investment than a wooden house, and by 1883 construction had begun on a stronger iron structure. 

Fabrication of the structure took place in Paisley, Scotland, and shipped to Ireland in sections. By the early 2000s, the Palm House had fallen into a state of disrepair. After more than 100 years, the wrought iron, cast iron and timber construction had seriously deteriorated. Prior to its restoration, a large number of panes of glass were breaking each year due to the corrosion and instability of the structure. 

As part of the restoration, the house was completely dismantled into more than 7,000 parts, and tagged for repair and restoration off-site. 20-metre-tall cast iron columns within the Great Palm House had seriously degraded and were replaced by new cast iron columns created in moulds of the originals. To protect the structure from further corrosion, new modern paint technology was used to develop long-term protection for the Palm House, providing protection from the perpetually tropical internal climate. For Health and Safety reasons, overhead glass was laminated and vertical panes toughened, and a specialised form of mastic was used to fix the panes, replacing the original linseed oil putty that had contributed to the decay of the building over the century. The Palm House was reopened in 2004 after a lengthy replanting programme following the restoration process.

The Curvilinear Range was completed in 1848 by Richard Turner, and was extended in the late 1860s. This structure, has also been restored (using some surplus contemporary structural ironwork from Kew Gardens) and this work attracted the Europa Nostra award for excellence in conservation architecture.

There is also a third range of glasshouses: the Aquatic House, the Fern House and the original Cactus House. These structures were closed off in the early 2000s, and are currently undergoing restoration. As these glasshouses were specialised in the plants they housed, many specimens such as the Giant Amazonian Water Lily have not been grown in the gardens since the closure of the structures.

LOWER DRUMCONDRA ROAD

20/06/2023

LOWER DRUMCONDRA ROAD [NOT A BAD AREA TO LIVE IN]

Many years ago I lived on Carlingford Road off Lower Drumcondra Road and it was a great experience. The area is well services and while the city centre may be nearby there is no real necessity to leave the Drumcondra area. The only downside, as far as I was concerned, was that the area was over-loaded with fanf whenever there was a match or event in Croke Park ... my front porch was frequently used as a toilet.

Drumcondra House was purchased by Rev. John Hand and in 1842 All Hallows College was established.[19] Daniel O'Connell played a part in the purchase of Drumcondra House for All Hallows, from Dublin Corporation. Designed by the architect Sir Edward Lovett Pearce and was built in 1726 for Sir Marmaduke Coghill, from the nearby Belvedere House. The Coghills rented out the house for a time. All Hallows was sold to Dublin City University by the Vincentian Order in 2016.

One of the main sights of Dublin is Croke Park, where Ireland's national games of Gaelic football and hurling may be seen. It has a capacity of 82,300 people, it is one of the largest sports stadiums in Europe. 'Croker' (as it is colloquially known) is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association and also houses the official GAA Museum (on St Josephs Avenue, which is off Clonliffe Road). The stadium hosts the finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The stadium is a 20-minute walk from Dublin city centre or a 5-minute bus ride.

Fagan's Public House, Drumcondra Road Lower, where Bertie Ahern took U.S. President Bill Clinton in September 1998. Kennedys Pub on Lower Drumcondra Road is one of the oldest pubs in Drumcondra, predating Fagans by a number of years. Formerly called McPhillips, it has been named Kennedys since 1961.

Tolka Park, the home of League of Ireland side Shelbourne since 1989, is situated on Richmond Road. The site has been used as a soccer pitch since the 1920s, initially by Drumcondra Football Club (Drums) and from 1972 by Home Farm Football Club.

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) at Whitworth Road was previously Drumcondra Hospital and is located adjoining the cemetery of St. George's, whose former parish church is located at Temple Street.

THE MARIAN STATUE AT BROADSTONE

20/06/2023

THE MARIAN STATUE AT BROADSTONE HAS IN REALITY BECOME MORE ISOLATED

Because of its colour, or should I say total lack of colour, this Marian statue is not very visible from The Western Way or from Constitution Hill. I know some who are aware of it but did not know that there was a narrow walkway behind it and that there were steps leading up from the street below.

As a result of the the construction of the LUAS tram stop and the Broadstone Gate plaza access to statue should be easier that it was in the past but unfortunately the raised space directly in front of the old Broadstone railway station is uninviting and somewhat unattractive. It, also,  acts as a magnet for anti-social activity especially the over consumption of alcohol.

There are hundreds of statues of the Virgin Mary dotted around Ireland and there are at least 26 so called Marian Statues in Dublin and most  were put up in the Marian Year of 1954, when entire communities mobilised to erect a statue for their area.

As far as I can tell the majority are are still in good condition and regularly maintained by the people around them. 

HISTORIC NORMAN CASTLE IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH

14/06/2023

PHOTOGRAPHED 26 JANUARY 2006 BUT PUBLISHED IN JUNE 2023

Few places in Ireland contain more medieval buildings than the heritage town of Trim. Trim Castle is foremost among those buildings.

In fact, the castle is the largest Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy and his successors took 30 years to build it.

The central fortification is a monumental three-storey keep. This massive 20-sided tower, which is cruciform in shape, was all but impregnable in its day. It was protected by a ditch, curtain wall and water-filled moat.

Modern walkways now allow you to look down over the interior of the keep – a chance to appreciate the sheer size and thickness of the mighty castle walls.

The castle is often called King John’s Castle although when he visited the town he preferred to stay in his tent on the other side of the river. Richard II visited Trim in 1399 and left Prince Hal later Henry V as a prisoner in the castle.

ROBERT EMMET MEMORIAL

12/06/2023

ROBERT EMMET MEMORIAL ON THOMAS STREET 

I was disappointed by this set of images but it was impossible to arrange a suitable from which to photograph this memorial.

Robert Emmet (4 March 1778 – 20 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland, and to establish a nationally representative government. Emmet entertained, but ultimately abandoned, hopes of immediate French assistance and of coordination with radical militants in Great Britain. In Ireland, many of the surviving veterans of '98 hesitated to lend their support, and his rising in Dublin in 1803 proved abortive.

Emmet’s Proclamation of the Provisional Government to the People of Ireland, his Speech from the Dock, and his "sacrificial" end on the gallows inspired later generations of Irish republicans. Patrick Pearse, who in 1916 was again to proclaim a provisional government in Dublin, declared Emmet's attempt "not a failure, but a triumph for that deathless thing we call Irish Nationality".

The Speech from the Dock

Robert Emmet's speech on the eve of his execution.

My Lords:

What have I to say why sentence of death should not be pronounced on me according to law?  I have nothing to say that can alter your predetermination, nor that it will become me to say with any view to the mitigation of that sentence which you are here to pronounce, and I must abide by.  But I have that to say which interests me more than life, and which you have labored (as was necessarily your office in the present circumstances of this oppressed country) to destroy.  I have much to say why my reputation should be rescued from the load of false accusation and calumny which has been heaped upon it.  I do not imagine that, seated where you are, your minds can be so free from impurity as to receive the least impression from what I am going to utter--I have no hopes that I can anchor my character in the breast of a court constituted and trammeled as this is--I only wish, and it is the utmost I expect, that your lordships may suffer it to float down your memories untainted by the foul breath of prejudice, until it finds some more hospitable harbor to shelter it from the storm by which it is at present buffeted.

Was I only to suffer death after being adjudged guilty by your tribunal, I should bow in silence and meet the fate that awaits me without a murmur; but the sentence of law which delivers my body to the executioner will, through the ministry of that law, labor in its own vindication to consign my character to obloquy--for there must be guilt somewhere: whether in the sentence of the court in the catastrophe, posterity must determine. A man in my situation, my lords, has not only to encounter the difficulties of fortune. and the force of power over minds which it has corrupted or subjugated. but the difficulties of established prejudice: the man dies, but his memory lives. That mine may not perish, that it may live in the respect of my countrymen, I seize upon this opportunity to vindicate myself from some of the charges alleged against me. When my spirit shall be wafted to a more friendly port; when my shade shall have joined the bands of those martyred heroes who have shed their blood on the scaffold and in the field, in defense of their country and of virtue. this is my hope: I wish that my memory and name may animate those who survive me, while I look down with complacency on the destruction of that perfidious government which upholds its domination by blasphemy of the Most High-which displays its power over man as over the beasts of the forest-which sets man upon his brother, and lifts his hand in the name of God against the throat of his fellow who believes or doubts a little more or a little less than the government standard--a government which is steeled to barbarity by the cries of the orphans and the tears of the widows which it has made.

[Interruption by the court.]

I appeal to the immaculate God--I swear by the throne of heaven, before which I must shortly appear--by the blood of the murdered patriots who have gone before me that my conduct has been through all this peril and all my purposes governed only by the convictions which I have uttered, and by no other view than that of their cure, and the emancipation of my country from the superinhuman oppression under which she has so long and too patiently travailed; and that I confidently and assuredly hope that, wild and chimerical as it may appear, there is still union and strength in Ireland to accomplish this noble enterprise. of this I speak with the confidence of intimate knowledge, and with the consolation that appertains to that confidence. Think not, my lords, I say this for the petty gratification of giving you a transitory uneasiness; a man who never yet raised his voice to assert a lie will not hazard his character with posterity by asserting a falsehood on a subject so important to his country, and on an occasion like this. Yes. my lords. a man who does not wish to have his epitaph written until his country is liberated will not leave a weapon in the power of envy, nor a pretense to impeach the probity which he means to preserve even in the grave to which tyranny consigns him.

[Interruption by the court.]

Again I say, that what I have spoken was not intended for your lordship, whose situation I commiserate rather than envy-my expressions were for my countrymen; if there is a true Irishman present. let my last words cheer him in the hour of his affliction.

[Interruption by the court.]

I have always understood it to be the duty of a judge. when a prisoner has been convicted, to pronounce the sentence of the law; I have also understood that judges sometimes think it their duty to hear with patience and to speak with humanity. to exhort the victim of the laws. and to offer with tender benignity his opinions of the motives by which he was actuated in the crime, of which he had been adjudged guilty: that a judge has thought it his duty so to have done. I have no doubt--but where is the boasted freedom of your institutions. where is the vaunted impartiality, clemency. and mildness of your courts of justice, if an unfortunate prisoner, whom your policy, and not pure justice. is about to deliver into the hands of the executioner. is not suffered to explain his motives sincerely and truly. and to vindicate the principles by which he was actuated?

My lords, it may be a part of the system of angry justice, to bow a man's mind by humiliation to the purposed ignominy of the scaffold; but worse to me than the purposed shame, or the scaffold's terrors, would be the shame of such unfounded imputations as have been laid against me in this court: you, my lord [Lord Norbury], are a judge. I am the supposed culprit; I am a man, you are a man also; by a revolution of power, we might change places, though we never could change characters; if I stand at the bar of this court and dare not vindicate my character, what a farce is your justice? If I stand at this bar and dare not vindicate my character. flow dare you calumniate it? Does the sentence of death which your unhallowed policy inflicts on my body also condemn my tongue to silence and my reputation to reproach? Your executioner may abridge the period of my existence. but while I exist I shall not forbear to vindicate my character and motives from your aspersions: and as a man to whom fame is dearer than life, I will make the last use of that life in doing justice to that reputation which is to live after me, and which is the only legacy I can leave to those I honor and love, and for whom I am proud to perish. As men, my lord, we must appear at the great day at one common tribunal. and it will then remain for the searcher of all hearts to show a collective universe who was engaged in the most virtuous actions. or actuated by the purest motives-my country's oppressors or--

[Interruption by the court.]

My lord, will a dying man be denied the legal privilege of exculpating himself, in the eyes of the community, of an undeserved reproach thrown upon him during his trial, by charging him with ambition and attempting to cast away, for a paltry consideration. the liberties of his country? Why did your lordship insult me? or rather why insult justice. in demanding of me why sentence of death should not be pronounced? I know, my lord, that form prescribes that you should ask the question; the form also presumes a right of answering. This no doubt may be dispensed with--and so might the whole ceremony of trial, since sentence was already pronounced at the castle, before your jury was impaneled; your lordships are but the priests of the oracle, and I submit; but I insist on the whole of the forms.

I am charged with being an emissary of France An emissary of France? And for what end? It is alleged that I wished to sell the independence of my country? And for what end? Was this the object of my ambition? And is this the mode by which a tribunal of justice reconciles contradictions? No, I am no emissary; and my ambition was to hold a place among the deliverers of my country--not in power, nor in profit, but in the glory of the achievement!...

Connection with Prance was indeed intended, but only as far as mutual interest would sanction or require. Were they to assume any authority inconsistent with the purest independence. it would be the signal for their destruction: we sought aid, and we sought it, as we had assurances we should obtain it--as auxiliaries in war and allies in peace...

I wished to procure for my country the guarantee which Washington procured for America. To procure an aid, which, by its example, would be as important as its valor, disciplined. gallant, pregnant with science and experience; which would perceive the good and polish the rough points of our character. They would come to us as strangers and leave us as friends, after sharing in our perils and elevating our destiny. These were my objects--not to receive new taskmasters hilt to expel old tyrants: these were my views. and these only became Irishmen. It was for these ends I sought aid from France; because France, even as an enemy. could not he more implacable than the enemy already in the bosom of my country.

[Interruption by the court.]

I have been charged with that importance in the efforts to emancipate my country. as to be considered the keystone of the combination of Irishmen; or, as Your Lordship expressed it, "the life and blood of conspiracy." You do me honor overmuch. You have given to the subaltern all the credit of a superior. There are men engaged in this conspiracy, who are not only superior to me but even to your own conceptions of yourself, my lord; men, before the splendor of whose genius and virtues, I should bow with respectful deference, and who would think themselves dishonored to be called your friend--who would not disgrace themselves by shaking your bloodstained hand--

[Interruption by the court]

What, my lord, shall you tell me, on the passage to that scaffold. Which that tyranny. of which you are only the intermediary executioner. Has erected for my murder. that I am accountable for all the blood that has and will be shed in this struggle of the oppressed against the oppressor?--shall you tell me this--and must I be so very a slave as not to repel it?

I do not fear to approach the omnipotent Judge, to answer for the conduct of my whole life; and am I to be appalled and falsified by a mere remnant of mortality here? By you. too. who, if it were possible to collect all the innocent blood that you have shed in your unhallowed ministry, in one great reservoir. Your Lordship might swim in it.

[Interruption by the court.]

Let no man dare, when I am dead. to charge me with dishonor; let no man attaint my memory by believing that I could have engaged in any cause but that of my country's liberty and independence, or that I could have become the pliant minion of power in the oppression or the miseries of my countrymen. The proclamation of the provisional government speaks for our views; no inference can he tortured from it to countenance barbarity or debasement at home, or subjection. humiliation. or treachery from abroad; I would not have submitted to a foreign oppressor for the same reason that I would resist the foreign and domestic oppressor: in the dignity of freedom I would have fought upon the threshold of my country, and its enemy should enter only by passing over my lifeless corpse. Am I, who lived but for my country, and who have subjected myself to the dangers of the jealous and watchful oppressor, and the bondage of the grave, only to give my countrymen their rights, and my country her independence, and am I to be loaded with calumny and not suffered to resent or repel it--no, God forbid!

If the spirits of the illustrious dead participate in the concerns and cares of those who are dear to them in this transitory life--oh, ever dear and venerated shade of my departed father. look down with scrutiny upon the conduct of your suffering son; and see if I have even for a moment deviated from those principles of morality and patriotism which it was your care to instill into my youthful mind, and for which I am now to offer up my life!

My lords, you are impatient for the sacrifice-the blood which you seek is not congealed by the artificial terrors which surround your victim; it circulates warmly and unruffled, through the channels which God created for noble purposes. but which you are bent to destroy. for purposes so grievous. that they cry to heaven. Be yet patient! I have but a few words more to say. I am going to my cold and silent grave: my lamp of life is nearly exinguished: my race is run: the grave opens to receive me, and I sink into its bosom! I have but one request to ask at my departure from this world--it is the charity of its silence! Let no man write my epitaph: for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them. let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, until other times, and other men, can do justice to my character; when my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SMALL PUBLIC PARK

09/06/2023

HAROLD'S CROSS PUBLIC PARK

Harold's Cross got its name from a cross that marked the boundary of the lands owned by the archbishop of Dublin and the lands of the wild Harold Clan from Rathfarnham hundreds of years ago. The cross was probably located somewhere near the present junction at Kenilworth Road. The modern Celtic Cross at the northern tip of the park was erected in 1954.

The green in Harold's Cross, which is now Harold's Cross Park, is visible on many of the oldest maps of the area. The archbishop maintained a gallows on the green which helped to keep the Harold Clan at bay. Later, the gallows were replaced with a maypole and this became the centre of dancing and festivities each May, until the practice ceased around the middle of the 19th Century.

In 1890 the Harold's Cross Improvement Association was formed, and three years later they persuaded the Rathmines' and Rathgar commissioners to purchase the three acre green from the Irish Land Commission for five shillings. Local businesses contributed £500 toward the creation of a new park.

The park was designed by Mr William Sheppard, the eminent landscape gardener of the time, who is also credited with the design of St. Stephen's Green and Palmerston Park. Assisted by his son William Junior the park was completed in two months. It officially opened on 1st May 1894.

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

08/06/2023

 WINETAVERN STREET - ST MICHAELS HILL

My Grandmother always referred to this as St. Michaels Hill but my father referred to it as Winetavern Street and until recently I also referred to it as Winetavern street because that was what on any map that I had seen. 

However, about three years ago, I noticed a street sign under the arch at Christ Church Cathedral indicating that it is St. Michael's Hill.

After some research I discovered that the left hand side [East] of the street heading towards the  river is St. Michael's Hill while the other side of the street is Winetavern Street. To make things even more complicated St. Michael's Lane was originally Christchurch Lane. 

In the 17th century, taverns on Winetavern Street included the Whitehorse the Golden Lion and the King's Head and all are long gone.

Christ Church Cathedral, more formally The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the (Anglican) Church of Ireland. It is situated in Dublin, Ireland, and is the elder of the capital city's two medieval cathedrals, the other being St Patrick's Cathedral.

The cathedral was founded in the early 11th century under the Viking king Sitric Silkenbeard. It was rebuilt in stone in the late 12th century under the Norman potentate Strongbow, and considerably enlarged in the early 13th century, using Somerset stones and craftsmen. A partial collapse in the 16th century left it in poor shape and the building was extensively renovated and rebuilt in the late 19th century, giving it the form it has today, including the tower, flying buttresses, and distinctive covered footbridge.

ANOTHER VISIT TO WINDSOR TERRACE

05/06/2023

JUNE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 2023

The population of Ireland is just 5 million but over 500,000 passed through Dublin airport this weekend so my policy is to avoid all the stress associated with holiday travel by exploring the city of Dublin. I like the canal areas especially the Grand Canal on the south side of the city.

Portobello is an area of Dublin in Ireland, in the south city centre, bounded to the south by the Grand Canal.

It came into existence as a small suburb south of the city in the 18th century, centred on Richmond Street. During the following century it was completely developed, transforming an area of private estates and farmland into solid Victorian red-bricked living quarters for the middle classes on the larger streets, and terraced housing bordering the canal for the working classes.

As a fast-expanding suburb during the 19th century Portobello attracted many upwardly-mobile families whose members went on to play important roles in politics, the arts and the sciences. Towards the end of the century came an influx of Jews, refugees from pogroms in Eastern Europe, which gave the name "Little Jerusalem" to the area.

AN ABANDONED DECOMMISSIONED FERRY

28/05/2023

MV NAOMH ÉANNA IS AN ABANDONED DECOMMISSIONED FERRY [I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF SAVING IT]

Naomh Éanna, Ireland’s oldest remaining merchant ship, completed in Liffey Dockyard in 1958. It is moored in the number 2 graving dock in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin Port.

MV Naomh Éanna is a decommissioned ferry which historically operated as the primary connection on the Galway to Aran Islands route for Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) replacing the SS Dun Aengus.

The vessel featured in the 1996 film Michael Collins.

Despite plans to salvage the ship being mooted over the years, including making it part of a Maritime Quarter in Dublin, it has been left to languish in Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock.

Back in June 2017 I commented as follows: "The bad news is that this ship is due to be scrapped because the location is to be redeveloped and thus the ship must be removed." As you can se the ship is still visible but its condition is getting worse by the day.

In August of 1958, three months after entering service, she was among the ships to respond to the loss of KLM Flight 607-E.

KLM Flight 607-E, a Lockheed Super Constellation named Hugo de Groot and registered PH-LKM, was an international scheduled flight that crashed 180 kilometres (110 mi) northwest of Shannon Airport, Ireland on 14 August 1958. All ninety-one passengers and eight crew died in the accident, including six members of the Egyptian fencing team.  The "E" in the flight number stood for the designation of being an extra economy class flight to match the increased seasonal tourist demand.

Flight 607-E departed Shannon at 03:05 UTC on the second leg of a transatlantic trip from Amsterdam to New York City with intermediate stops in Shannon and Gander, Newfoundland. Radio contact with the aircraft was lost at approximately 03:40 UTC; a rescue operation was launched which found light debris on the surface of the ocean approximately 180 kilometres (110 mi) west of Shannon. The remains of thirty-four of those on board were also recovered.

Due to the lack of evidence, Irish and Dutch investigators could not pinpoint a probable cause for the accident. They examined the possibility of a bomb, electrical failure, or pilot error, but believed that the most likely possibility was a catastrophic mechanical failure. The investigating Board believed the most likely cause of the accident to be a malfunctioning over-speeding outboard propeller caused by metal particles obstructing oil feed line regulator valves. The particles may have been formed by a gear that was damaged when the supercharger of the corresponding engine was accelerated (gear ratio shifted). The malfunctions of the propeller pitch might have provoked a flight disturbance and as a consequence the propeller may have sheared off.

RED CARDINAL BY JOHN BURKE

20/03/2023

RED CARDINAL BY JOHN BURKE [PHOTOGRAPHED ON BAGGOT STREET 18 MARCH 2023]

In the past I have joked about the excessive number of red metal sculptures on the island Ireland and that many people often refer to them as "red metal yokes" but this sculpture is in a different league as it has artistic merit.

When I first saw this I thought that it was named "Red Cardinal" because of the colour but when I saw the captured images today I realised that it looks like a Mitre [headdress]. In the Catholic Church, ecclesial law gives the right to use the mitre and other pontifical insignia (crosier, pectoral cross, and ring) to bishops, abbots, cardinals, and those canonically equivalent to diocesan bishops who do not receive episcopal ordination.

The red steel sculpture “Red Cardinal” was designed by John Burke. It was erected in 1978 on the James Street side of the Bank of Ireland in Baggot Street Lower.

John Burke (11 May 1946 – 11 December 2006)  

Burke studied at the Crawford School of Art and Design in Cork and at the Royal Academy of London. He spent most of his career in the Cork area and for a time taught at Crawford, where his students included Eilis O'Connell and Vivienne Roche.

Burke was a founding member of Aosdána in 1981. 

Note: Yoke. In Irish slang, the word 'yoke' doesn't have anything to do with eggs. Instead, it's another way of saying 'thing'. So if someone in Ireland sees an object that they've never seen before, they will commonly be heard to ask, 'What's that yoke there?

WOOD QUAY SCULPTURE

14/02/2023

THE WOOD QUAY WOODEN SCULPTURE [BY MICHAEL WARREN]

I use an iPhone in order to avoid attracting attention and much to my surprise I am now encountering many who wish to be included in my photographs and my policy is not to edit them out.

The Wooden Sculpture 'Wood Quay' by Michael Warren outside the offices of Dublin City Council is meant to invoke the prow of a Viking longship.

I am not a fan of the wooden sculpture located outside Dublin City Civic Offices at Wood Quay but now that it has been painted black it looks much better when seen from the North side of the river.

Michael Warren (born 1950 in Gorey, County Wexford, Ireland) is an Irish sculptor who produces site-specific public art.

Inspired by Oisín Kelly, his art teacher at St Columba's College, Michael Warren studied at Bath Academy of Art, at Trinity College, Dublin and, from 1971-75, at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. He now lives and works in Co. Wexford.

Michael's Gateway, Corten sculpture, in Dún Laoghaire was less than popular with some local people calling for it to be removed and it was removed ... I actually liked it.

At the northern entrance to the village of Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, is a sculpture by Michael Warren, depicting the thrones of the ancient seat of the Kings of South Leinster at Dinn Righ (The hill of the Kings). The Kings of Leinster lived near the village.

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