As this monument was not included on Google Maps I added a pin a few years ago so that you can locate it if you ever nearby. I checked today and it is now included on Google Maps. For many years I could not gain full access to this memorial as the gates were usually locked which I assumed was to protect against anti-social behaviour. The monument was vandalised in the 1970’s, and the Volunteer stood for many years with no rifle in his hand, until his restoration in 1991. However it would now appear that Dublin City Council are adopting a different approach and are now leaving the gates open twenty four hours per day and from what I have seen so far indicates that vandalism has reduced.
It was only recently that I noticed that this monument was originally build as a fountain but the water supply must have been removed as is often the case in Dublin.
The Irish Volunteer Monument commemorates members of the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Volunteers who fought and died during the Easter Rising (1916) and the War of Independence (1919-21). The monument depicts a soldier and below the soldier scenes from Irish mythology and ancient Irish history: the arrival of the Milesians (the first inhabitants of Ireland), Cuchulainn fighting at the ford and the death of King Brian Boru at Clontarf in 1014.
[24 January 20220: I am currently planning a number of city trips with the intention of spending a week in Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny and Waterford. I have booked hotel rooms in the hope that Covid does not interfere with my plans. Today I purchased a Sony 20mm lens which was discounted by Euro 300 the main reason for getting this lens is that I wish to greatly the weight and bulk of the equipment that I need t carry when I am travelling and I also need good low light performance.
