Post box in Dublin city centre with the insignia of Britain’s King Edward VII (1901-1910)
Harry Warren writes:
In light of the proposed removal of various statues associated with imperialism and colonialism perhaps a fruitful area to explore would be the multiple Irish post and pillar boxes featuring the various British royal crests. These post boxes are to be found all over the country.
Many of the boxes still feature the royal crest from the three final British monarchs who had jurisdiction over Ireland – Queen Victoria, King Edward VIII and King George VI. Not exactly what one would expect to find in an independent republic!
Time for their removal anyone?
Fight!
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No.
+1
Numpty central!
Also no.
I require the colour that such artifacts bring for the enjoyment of my day.
I remember , many years ago, an elderly painter remarking about the time when all instances of Imperial red was being overpainted in green ” you would have a pain in your hole looking at green paint “
Lovely story!
Without such rich stuff on the street-scape, many’s a treasure hunt clue wouldn’t have worked! Did Harry Warren not consider the treasure-hunt makers?
Is it too early for a post-colonial gin and tonic ?
I hope not because Mrs Charger has just brought me a rather large Bombay Sapphire.
Marvellous.
Can I just say as the resident Tan on here I’m not fussed either way.
It seems entirely understable to me that some people might object to these symbols of colonial repression and want to have them removed.
I only hope any decision is taken democratically and with the full support of the local people.
When the Colston statue was hauled down and chucked into the dock in Bristol the local Labour party applauded the efforts of BLM in taking direct action.
Labour have been in control of Bristol since 2016.
That’s why they continue to lose general elections in the way they do.
Let’s remove all history and start again.
Now, remember when Africans ruled Ireland?
No?
You’re an evil racist!!!
This is just patent nonsense.
Are you a racist?
https://www.africaresource.com/rasta/articles/african-roots-of-ireland/
Oh jog on, you sad little troll.
That article starts with “Ancient Irish mythology refers to the original inhabitants of the island as being a giant, sea-faring people called the Fomorians (Fomors), which means “dark of the sea”. ”
There is no evidence for this etymology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians
Those are just relics, they aren’t glorifying anyone. I would be taking down Marian year statues first.
+1922
+ another 32
You’d never catch one of those Marian statues. However….
There was a miracle at one of the shrines near me a few years ago. Someone saw a FAS worker moving
Yeah, tear down all the Georgian houses while you’re at it..
I think some gobpoos beat you to it, Dublin used to be far more beautiful
This is not a celebration of anything.
It serves as a reminder of our colonial past which has shaped the nation and many of our attitudes ever since. It’s important to be aware of things like this.
+1
exactly, just take a look at our attitude to the poor for one of the ways it has shaped our attitudes, our so called class system, what a joke
May as well tear down Dublin. Constant reminder of our pillaging Viking ancestors that oppressed the indigenous free people of Ireland 1000’s of years ago.
I think they’re actually quite a nice bit of street furniture. Certainly more aesthetic than the cheap square jobs we have now.
Good point on the Viking past. Makes a deserved mockery of this erasure of history nonsense.
Both sides of my Family DNA came out as Viking. I think 20 to 30% of Ireland would have similar results
yup my Mum’s side mostly Danish DNA
my mum is mostly danish pastry, if that helps.
that’s a handsome Mammy right there
damn you, now I desire pastries, I’m very easily influenced by the power of suggestion these days
LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE
Mmmmmm delicious
No, this has all become very silly. It’s important to leave the marks of history for future generations.
quite right too. and while we’re at it we should stop using all british inventions; from vaccines to the phone.
History as brought to you by our former colonial masters, wha?
It’s incorrect to describe vaccines as purely a British invention. Successful vaccinations were also made in Germany in the years preceding Jenner – eg by Peter Plett in 1791.
Graham-Bell stole the concept of the telephone from Italian inventor, Antonio Meucci ,with whom he shared a lab. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jun/17/humanities.internationaleducationnews
i do love a good nerd-on.
fair play :)
What did the Brits ever do for us?
Etc, etc…
Monasterevan… the aquaduct…
Counties Offaly & Laois
My point entirely.
this is meant to be sarcastic this post, right ?
yeah, right..
It is, yeah…
Congratulations on finding something new and novel to rage against. We shall call your protest Rage Against the Postbox.
Rage Against the Snail Mail?
Only for the brits, we’d have no beautiful buildings.
but…but…Central Bank (as was) and Busaras?
The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation building on Kildare street (was Department of Industry and Commerce)
http://builtdublin.com/balcony-23-kildare-street-dublin-2/
Concrete done rightest: the Berkeley Library.
Concrete done wrongest: Phibsboro SC.
We probably would have managed to build decent buildings if left to our own devices over the years.
Or if Fianna Fail didn’t do away with quality control in the building industry and allow self regulation. That’ll effect public spending for a while yet.
Rename the West Brit streets in South Dublin, dump the crosses at the top of mountains, that would be a good start.
interesting how the same people who were frothing at the mounth about the black and tans commemoration are now like ‘where does it all end? they’ll be tearing down newgrange next’
nope it’s perfectly functional and easily adjusted with a nice DeWalt or Makita
a couple of decent 115mm silicon carbide discs should do it, if you can’t find those (they’re marked SIC) the general purpose Bosch Metal ones aren’t too bad but they’ll blunt eventually so you might need a few…strip back the paint back before going at it
When I saw the name of this post, I thought it was going to be about an Aussie brewery changing its name from “Colonial”:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-16/colonial-brewing-banned-from-eastern-state-liquor-store/12360122
In a statement, the liquor store said the use of the word ‘colonial’ was problematic.
“[It] speaks to a broader history of colonialism and colonisation that has caused irreversible harm to the First Nations people in Australia and Indigenous populations around the world,” the owners said.
I hope that Australian renames a few states, cities, towns and deserts.
Next we’ll be closing down the Swastika Laundry!
Coon cheese could go too
haven’t you got some hemp shoes or shirts to make. Jaysus
The boxes, especially the delightful pillar boxes are an important part of our national heritage and purely as street furniture, they add a lot to to the urban landscape.
I think it would be an excellent idea for a small explanatory plaque to be installed on them giving a brief outline of their history and historical importance.
That explanation may need to change depending of location of course. For example:-
South Dublin (excluding Tallaght) They built Beautiful buildings and we learned how to speak proper English.
North Dublin: The stole our land and ran us up into the hills like DOGS.!.
south of the liffey is home to dublin castle, which was the seat of government, the root of power and wealth. as a result it attracted the worst types of both haves and have-nots – both motivated by greed and avarice. in fact just outside the city walls is a massive plague graveyard where bodies were dumped. the southside, in short, is a kip.
the north side however was taken up by the st mary’s abbey and was populated by folk who worked humbly for the glory of god and the salvation of mankind. northsiders are just better people, full stop.
I like this comment Scottser
*fistbump*
Particularly when one learns about their backstory: this type of postbox was introduced by Anthony Trollope, the novelist, who worked for the Royal Mail, and who spent a great deal of time in Ireland, and set many of his early novels here.
At first I thought the OP was posting tongue-firmly-in-cheek, but having read it again, I just think that he is a man in search of something to feel oppressed by…
and not forgetting that they were painted green before they were red (before they were green)
Albeit a sort of British racing green.
I once had an MGB Roadster in British Racing Green.
Wonderful little goer she was.
Of course British Racing Green takes its name from the green international motor racing colour of the United Kingdom. This originated with the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup, held in Ireland (then still part of the UK), as motor-racing was illegal in England. As a mark of respect, the British cars were painted shamrock green.
Is that genuine? Or is it like the nonsense about the German football team’s away shirt.
I like the bit from the big buke where the hearses wizz round Dunphy’s (Doyle’s) Corner, spilling corpses out onto Phibsboro road
“First round Dunphy’s, Mr Dedalus said, nodding. Gordon Bennett cup.”
Those. long flags really irk me; the proportions are all wrong.
Exactly why I came here. Tear down those awful flags first. They’re not regulation size, and are making a mockery … something, something…
“The National Flag is rectangular in shape, the width being twice the depth (measurement from top to bottom). The three colours – green, white and orange – are of equal size and vertically disposed.”
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/adc448-the-national-flag/
At least orange and green are not so popular in the context of tricolours; I’ve seen those type of flags before in France, and you’d hardly know if its supposed to be a Dutch or Luxembourg flag or what.
Ah give over
they’re vessels that actually serve a purpose
Unlike Grottos
And are way less offensive to me than those flags there
How is this reminder of our past any different to the scars of war worn by the GPO columns?
And for What its Worth
I like these reminders
Were GPO scars not facelifted? Thought they were gone.
To preserve their structural integrity
not to hide our history
but shur you knew that
you’ll like this V, check out the appropriation of the church of this ancient sacred site, maybe the cross needs to go ? ;)
https://m.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/megalithic-tomb-at-home-in-estate-29623928.html
All that ‘appropriation’ should be removed
let’s take all the Catholic land back and use it to honour Aine remembered as a Celtic goddess of love and use it for affordable homes
The lot should have been seized by CAB years ago
Turn the lots into casinos for all I care
Just treat the assets as being gained by criminal activities
Like acquired from the proceeds of crime
And seize
I can get behind that apart from the gambling, as me Mam says cards and dice are the divils playthings and his boots dinnae creek hen
Like I said
I don’t care what the sites and parcels of land are repurposed for
Just seize
Harry needs lock down to be over
Next we’ll be closing down the Swastika Laundry!
Leave them alone
the British built the railways – lets rip them up too!
Dublin Castle – symbol of British power in Ireland? Fetch my sledgehammer!
Next on the list: All the Norman castles.
And wasn’t Christianity introduced by a Welshman? Destroy all the churches and hospitals and schools!!!
jaysus some touchy people in these comments.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable that some thought be put towards the eventual phasing out and replacing of the relics of colonialism in Ireland. They serve no purpose and are a bit strange in context.
but they will probably be replaced with plastic hideous tat
Presumably things like post boxes are already being replaced as they reach the end of their serviceable life. There seem to be a lot fewer “VR” boxes than there were in decades past.
you need to work on your hysteria Old Boy, it’s all the rage with the young wans
the day old boy loses his rag is the day i quit broadsheet.
By that argument (relics of colonialism in Ireland. They serve no purpose and are a bit strange in context.) all the norman castles should be removed too.
And the Martello towers.
hopefully we can remove one of the last relics of fascism in ireland by getting rid of fine gael too
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
yes if we remove some postboxes and rename some streets we might find ourselves occupied by a terrible imperial regime within weeks
Should we reinstate the statues of Oliver Cromwell that were taken down? History, y’know.
You obviously do not get the point. Pity.
Ah, Ollie Cromwell.
I remember him well …
Ha
Why aren’t those flags at half mast? A garda is down.
No. I really think that we should keep them. They serve as a reminder of our colonial past. My political affiliations would be socialist / republican – just in case anyone thinks I’m a west brit … ;@)
It’s a post box get a grip
They’re big and round and smooth; not easy to get a grip on.
just takes practice ;)
Don’t worry, the radical lefties will be along soon to tell you this also needs to go, eating their own these days.
The painting of the post boxes green and keeping them is a symbol of victory of the Irish over their colonial masters.