Merrion Square Facelift – New Memorial/Rutland Fountain Restoration

The Old Fountain is being cleaned

By Jonathan deBurca Butler

 

 

 

 

The west side of Merrion square in Dublin 2 has been undergoing somewhat of a facelift in recent weeks and months with the imminent unveiling of a new memorial to the Defence Forces and commencement of restoration on an 18^th century fountain.

 

The unveiling of the memorial, which is being erected to honour members of the Defence Forces who have died in service, was originally pencilled in for June.

 

 However, the complexity of the structure has led to delays in the realisation of the project and it is now set to be presented to the public by the Minister of Defence, Willie O’Dea and President Mary McAleese next Saturday, November 8th.

 

The monument itself, designed by the artist, Mr. Brian King, is a pyramid standing 3 metres high made primarily of granite slabs resting on a steel frame and interspaced with toughened glass panels. Inside the structure, which has just been completed at a cost of €175,000, are four bronze figures in relief representing members of the Defence Forces.

 

In a statement to the Sunday Independent a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said: “The National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces will provide a place for contemplation and remembrance, where families, relatives and members of the public can reflect on the contribution and sacrifice made by members of the Defence Forces who died in the service of the State.”

Mr King’s design was chosen in March 2007 following an open tender competition in which more than 30 artists from across Europe applied. Mr. King studied at the National College of Art and Design, where he became a lecturer and was head of its sculpture department between 1984 and 2004. He is well known for typically large-scale geometric pieces incorporating the use of metals.

 

 Just a few metres down from the new memorial, scaffolding has been erected for the cleaning and part restoration of the Rutland fountain. Dating from 1792, the fountain, designed by Francis Sandys, is a commemoration of the Duke of Rutland, Charles Manners who commissioned the piece before his untimely death at the age of thirty-three.

 

In its full glory, water poured from the two bronze lion heads on either side and from the small central conduit water flowed into a large stone conch shell at the base of the fountain. Many of the figures in the roundels that adorn the fountain have been vandalised and damaged since its building over 200 years ago and the water element has been cut off.

 

None of these features are expected to be resurrected but the work is being done in order to preserve what is left of the monument.

 

The clean up is being undertaken by Dublin based company, Interclean on behalf of the Dublin City Council at a cost of approximately €230,000 and is expected to be finished before Christmas.

 

Interclean has been responsible for many successful restorations in the past including the cleaning of the Bank of Ireland, College Green and the façade of Trinity College, Dublin.

Review-Hedda Gabler-The Gate-Saturday Matinee 11th October

There’s quite a bit of attention to detail in the Brian Friel’s version of Hedda Gabler, directed by Anna Mackmin. Lez Brotherston’s beautiful grey drawing-room gives off an impression of grim decadence and the feeling is rather cinematic. Although from an utterly different era, the atmosphere is not unlike Elia Kazan’s film version of ‘A Streetcar named Desire’.

As the focal point, actress Justine Mitchell plays the role of Hedda, a 19^th century frustrated housewife who through boredom wishes to manipulate and destroy the lives of those around her. In an effort to appear cool and calculating the character suffers from being slightly one-dimensional. For me she’s actually not really cruel enough. If she were, you would feel something towards her, namely contempt or satisfaction at her ultimate demise. But in the end, which is rather dramatic, you end up feeling apathetic towards her. She’s not quite the larger than life character she is supposed to be.

She is manipulative but she could have been so much crueler. Her idiotic and naïve husband George, played here brilliantly by Peter Hanly, is, on the surface at least, so trusting and loving that he could have been twisted into all sorts of shapes. Instead he is allowed to come and go; and although he is in the play quite a lot, it is only really for comic effect, which at times-although always funny-runs on a bit too long.

John Light as Eilert Loevborg, the focus of many ladies attention, doesn’t do much to demonstrate the reasons for their amorous consideration. And in many respects it is a pity that the sexual tension between Hedda and the Lawyer Brack, although at times somewhat adolescent, wasn’t developed more.

Andrea Irvine as Thea Elvsted is really the stand out performer here. This is in no small part down to her own talent and skill as an actress; but the fact that her character is the most complex of all the characters allows Irvine to play her part with greater depth.

The Gate is a wonderful space. This play is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend two and a half hours and well worth going to. It just suffers from having too many characters whose complexities aren’t developed enough.

 

 

Palin links Obama to Terrorist – while Merkel pulls James Bond style U-Turn

"Go raibh mile maith agaibh"

Interesting to see Sarah Palin linking Barack Obama with terrorists and using a paper she hadn’t heard of, or at least couldn’t name last week(The New York Times), as back up.

Also thank you to Angela Merkel for thanking the Irish for the idea of guaranteeing deposits when just twenty-four hours earlier it was widely believed she had been heavily critical of the idea.

Earlier EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that Ireland’s move to guarantee deposits contravened EU Law. Presumably, the German move is in Das same boat.

One wonders. Do these people actually speak to each other?

Smaller countries left out of E.U. talks – Comforting for Ireland – As French President Kozys up to the other big three, we see the birth of a new Triumvirate

"I just felt that around here was beginning to sag a little, so I had some fat removed and now I feel SO much younger!!"

How comforting it was to see the big boys in the yard take it upon themselves to discuss ourEuropean Union’s problems without disturbing us minions. The fact that Mr. Sarkozy invited the heavy hitters to talks is very reassuring to me as an Irishman. I feel much safer now because I know that I am back safe and warm in the cave while by big butch boyfriends go out and make sure that I’ll have enough to eat.

Gordo was loving it-huffing and puffing his way through what he thought the Union needed to do with a look of disbelief on his face that he had been invited ’round the table to wave his club in the air with the other equally egoistical leaders; one has had a hair transplant and is getting younger by the day, the other is married to a former super model and loves to see himself on TV. Merkel must go home and laugh at all these eejits.

Amazingly, only the ballsey Finns made any sort of objection to the exclusivity of the meeting and they were correct to do so. If these leaders want Ireland to eventually say yes to Lisbon, little meetings like this should be avoided or at least kept away from the cameras. One can just imagine Declan Ganley, chuffing away on a cigar last night while stroking his white cat, looking at this gathering and taking note of the proceedings with glee. There they were sat at a press conference with E.U. flags behind them, proudly solving all our problems without the rest of us in attendance. 

Kept away from the cameras!!!??? I hear you scream with laughter. Good point, we are talking Sarkozy, Berlusconi and Brown. All hail the new  ’Triumvirate of Vanity’.

Palin Biden Debate- The view from Ireland and Britain

Not so great debate

Most (sane) media are calling it a draw with Palin perhaps managing not to make too much of a fool of herself as was maybe hoped by the Democrat side. Even the ‘experts’ on Mr. Murdoch’s Sky News over here were inclined to say that although Palin didn’t make a pig’s ear of it, Biden’s knowledge of foreign policy ultimately swung it in his favour. That said, these are the glasses through which we Europeans see the American election-U.S. foreign policy. So whether or not that is as relevant for you guys is another thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The BBC’s Kevin Connolly said the following in his anaysis: “I’d be inclined to call it even, while noting that Mrs Palin perhaps exceeded expectations and even got a couple of cheeky digs in towards the end.”

 

The unfortunate thing about the debate was the rather sickening way that family history got drawn into the election again. It is unfortunate that Biden, in order to show his human side, was forced or felt compelled to bring in a family tragedy from some years back. But it seems to be part of the game. I wonder now when we will see the marriage of Palin’s daughter. Could it happen before the election day?

 

On Palin’s performance Denis Staunton of The Irish Times said the following: “Palin’s performance may have delighted the McCain campaign but it was not enough to provide the game-changer the Republican ticket needs as the election moves swiftly in Obama’s direction.”

  Trawl through most of the European press and you won’t find many saying Palin won; rather that there was relief in Republican circles that she didn’t lose.