This afternoon.
Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Th newly installed ‘Hauntings Soldier’ sculpture commemorating the centenary of the ending of World War 1.
The six metre tall scrap metal soldier will be stationed in St Stephen’s Green for the next four weeks.
Where’s his poppy?
Scrap!
World War One: Dublin’s ‘Haunting Soldier’ marks centenary (BBC)
Earlier: We Shall Not Sleep , Though Poppies Grow
Leah Farrell / RollingNews
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Saw this on the news last night.
Point made that it’s not often a statue of a 6m tall soldier in British uniform in our land.
Hope to go to see it myself.
Lovely installation in St Patrick’s also:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46042417
Thanks for that link Spud – looks great.
Covered in green paint in 5….4…
….because the British WW1 uniform was green?
…what an obscenity…
Does he have to look British too?
I’m more confused by the steampunk body.
If it doesn’t come to life and go on a rampage only to be taken down by a gang of plucky youths armed with fireworks and singing ‘Revenge For Skibbereen’ I’ll be disappointed.
We just need to find the key…
It’s like the iron giant when disguised as art
Nice work, fair dues to the artist!
Had a look at their Facebook page.Thry make some excellent pieces.
https://m.facebook.com/Dorset-Forge-and-Fabrication-Ltd-1652476818333671/posts
Lovely, just ahead of the centenary of the start of the Irish War of Independence in January 1919 when the 6 meter tommy and his mates, armed with their lee-enfieds, slaughtered Irish men, women and children in their campaign to block the liberation of our country.
For he’s a jolly good fellow….
Feel free to make your own statue, Eoin.
+1
I like when my comments get deleted
Me too. I take pride in it actually.
it makes me sad
It puzzles me.
That’s fantastic
pity it can’t stay there
and fair play to the lady that came up with idea, and commissioned it
I love the idea that it is representative of the everyday person
from any walk of life
Love it
It’s kind of let down by those crappy plastic planters around it
it’s like they forgot and then sent someone over to woodies with €50
Is a Plastic Planter the sash-draped antonym for a plastic Paddy?
What’s with the planters around it? Surely a stone plinth would be more fitting for a statue like thi.s
Probably to stop doggies going about their business
And the rest of us from doing stupid stuff like putting locks on it and scratching out nonsense
Is it a coincidence that he’s just behind Traitor’s Gate? (The old Dublin knickname for the arch)
Not our war.
It was a war between two empires fighting about who they got to colonise next.
In which many thousands of Irish died, adding their names to the many thousands of Irish who died before them fighting Britain’s wars. We should remember them and how their lives were thrown away, especially with the Sasamachs trying to play on the “close relationship” between Ireland and the UK. Crops and cannon fodder is what they used us for and they still believe we’ll cut our economic throats when they whistle.
It wasn’t anyone’s war. It was a senseless slaughter, and should be commemorated as such, despite the efforts of patriots and militarists.
Bullpoo
WW1 significantly swayed and influenced our rebellion in 1916 and our independence. If you consider the previous rebellions….and see that Pearse, Collins and Connolly et al seized an opportunity when the British Army were deployed elsewhere.Look at the hurried rush of lame untrained soldiers the British Army shipped from Liverpool during the Battle of Mount Street. And it was also a war we involved in if you count the 58,000 Irish that fought and died in it and the families they left widowed and orphaned. Far less than our EU cousins, but it was a World War in all senses of the words.
The sculptor has skillfully created the work from recycled parts. In the Great War, unfortunately, millions of dead soldiers could not be recycled. May they rest in peace.
Was he terrorist fighting for empire and king or a freedom fighter for Irish Independence, if he was the
latter, how come we had `1916, the Black and Tans and Partition,
Probably just some young lad, not a hero, not an idealist, just joined the army cos he’s not to sure. And died.
The truth up your news
Toxic Male Masculinity. Like we really need it. Compare the size of this obscenity to the Countess Markevicz commemoration in the same park. Commemorating 100 years of women’s franchise the the SF election of the first ever cabinet minister indeed.
In case we needed further evidence that we live in strange times, the absence of commemoration for the end of WW1 is stunning, particularly in the media – my tin foil hat tells me they need to be able to play an identity politics angle that fits and furthers their narrative.
The collapse of empiricism and end of state monarchy in Europe, the transition to social democracies and democratic republics, the emergence of the USA as the leader of the free world, yet somehow there is nothing to reflect on? It might just be that nation states have given us stability and the media are not sure they are ready to admit that or celebrate that.
Any thoughts?