A chip off the old block
Among the latest acquisitions at the Little Museum of Dublin – now in temporary exile pending refurbishment of its Stephen’s Green headquarters – is a thumb of Father Mathew.
When the open-top bus from the airport crawled through dense crowds in the city centre, statues and trees were highly prized as vantage points. There must be a few similar mementoes on Dublin sideboards still, because when I took a stroll past him earlier this week, I noticed that poor Father Mathew has barely a single finger left intact.
So too, luckily, is the statue of Parnell, which seems to be directing traffic to turn left at the end of the street. Its outstretched right arm, capable of seating two or three street urchins in comfort, would long ago have gone the way of the Venus de Milo’s if it had been stone. Both are stone. But Gray’s right hand is clenched in a fist while his left is wrapped around a scroll. The even more sensible O’Brien, meanwhile, has his arms folded.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sermon on the Mounts — Frank McNally on a biblical week in CheltenhamThe End is Nigh Handicap Hurdle
Read more »
– Frank McNally on an unusual English tribute to the Irish writer Melesina TrenchAs a writer, she certainly had sharp talons
Read more »
– Frank McNally on the importance of food in diary writingThis column was accidentally dragged into the transatlantic debate on whether UFOs exist
Read more »
– Frank McNally on the Irish birth of Radio Caroline, 60 years agoCaroline proved an instant success with listeners
Read more »
– Frank McNally on being traumatised by the increasing youth of taoisighThere was a time when ruling elders really were elderly
Read more »
– Frank McNally on a gloomy trend in half a century of pop musicA general drift toward lyrical melancholy
Read more »