MARIAN GROTTO | URBAN CULTURE BY FOTONIQUE

AT SAINT JOSEPHS CHURCH

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MARIAN GROTTO


SORRY FOR THE DELAY
MARIAN GROTTO ST. JOSEPHS CHURCH [BERKELEY ROAD - BERKELEY STREET - ECCLES STREET]

Until today I did not realise that there one end of the street is Berkeley Street while the other end is Berkeley Road.

I started photographing the city of Dublin early in 2006 which is only a decade but even in such a a short I have noticed a huge decline in the number of people visiting churches. It is often the case that when i visit a church I cannot gain access to the interior because it is closed or when I do gain access there is no one in the church or if there is a person it is likely that they are homeless or semi-homeless.

This photograph is an example of old style religion in Ireland. Up until about twenty years ago every church had a grotto similar to this and they were very popular with the locals but in recent years I have noticed that I hardly every seen anyone praying or even paying any attention to such grottos. However there are a few exceptions such the grotto at the church on Meath street.

My father was moved around the country because of his job and as my education became a major issue it was decided that I should live with my grandmother in Dublin during the school year. My grandmother’s hobby was visiting churches and religious grottos and usually brought me along for the visit. Over a period of time I visited every church in Dublin and this did impact on my behaviour. One summer my father and mother decided to bring me on a tour of Ireland stopping at interesting sites and landmarks. Everything went well until we came across the Master McGrath Memorial. As soon as we got out of the car I knelt down and started praying to what was a statue of a dog. As you can imagine my parents were horrified. Soon after my parents moved to Dublin so it was no longer necessary for me to live with my grandmother in order to attend school.

The Master McGrath Monument is located at the junction of the Clonmel and Cappoquin Roads outside Dungarvan to mark his winning of the Waterloo Cup. This is the only public monument to any greyhound in Ireland but one of three to this special greyhound.

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