Leinster House, National Museum & Library complex

[pulp]

The problem is that the people that lead our country are largely teachers and solicitors, how can you possibly expect them to understand style, symmetry, elegance apart from actually running the country without bankrupting it!

Dublin is a very poor relation in European city terms, as Yeats said we are obsessed about our greasy till. Im afraid the only way we will ever get a city with beautiful buildings looked after carefully is if we emigrate.

[Yixian]

The problem is that the people that lead our country are largely teachers and solicitors, how can you possibly expect them to understand style, symmetry, elegance apart from actually running the country without bankrupting it!

Dublin is a very poor relation in European city terms, as Yeats said we are obsessed about our greasy till. Im afraid the only way we will ever get a city with beautiful buildings looked after carefully is if we emigrate.

It's starting to worry me that fatalism and self-deprication are becoming the new Irish state of mind.

[lauder]

Today I noticed a statue I had never spotted before in Leinster Lawn (adjacent to the National Gallery). I am well aware of the sadly obscured bronze statue of Prince Albert, but there is another 19th century marble statue on the gallery side. Anyone know who this is of? Or what its details are?

I will try get a photo while passing tomorrow.

[Service charge]

Dunno, is it the TH Parke statute in the third link from my last post?

[lauder]

Nope, it is actually in the Leinster House compound. Not the Gallery of Natural History Museum. It is tucked in against western exterior wall of the Gallery on Leinster Lawn, with politicians cars parked right up next to it. It is a marble statue about 12 feet high.

Even the police at the gate do not know what it is!

Any ideas?

[fergalr]

Oireachtas website has a decent page on the artwork on the campus. It's probably in there.

[lauder]

Checked the website, nothing there either I'm afraid.

Heres a photo. From sifting through a few old (pre-1922) books, its seems to match the description (and general location) of HM GEORGE III. A marble standing figure, by van Nost the younger, commissioned by the Earl of Northumberland I wonder?

[Paul Clerkin]

I see one in dia.ie

CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CORK HILL, ROYAL EXCHANGE
Date: 1765
Nature: Statue of George III, presented to merchants of Dublin by Duke of Northumberland, 1765.
Refs: J. Warburton, J. Whitelaw and R. Walsh, History of the City of Dublin (1818), I, 522; W.G. Strickland, A Dictionary of Irish Artists (1913), II, 484,487

[Paul Clerkin]

This looks like an interesting read

Journal of Historical Geography, 28, 4 (2002) 508±533
doi:10.1006/jhge.2002.0441

The construction and destruction of a colonial
landscape: monuments to British monarchs in
Dublin before and after independence
Y. Whelan

http://www.ggy.bris.ac.uk/personal/YvonneWhelan/HistoricalGeographyArtice.pdf

It suggests Robert Stewart according to a map in the article

[lauder]

I see one in dia.ie

CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CORK HILL, ROYAL EXCHANGE
Date: 1765
Nature: Statue of George III, presented to merchants of Dublin by Duke of Northumberland, 1765.
Refs: J. Warburton, J. Whitelaw and R. Walsh, History of the City of Dublin (1818), I, 522; W.G. Strickland, A Dictionary of Irish Artists (1913), II, 484,487

That was also a statue there. Apparently a magnificent edifice in brass sat between the columns in the Royal Exchange. But this is a different one. Could it be the lost Van Nost marble statue of George III

[WalterTirel]

Recently I asked one of the security men at Leinster Lawn. He told me that this is Robert Stewart.

[TommyO'Brien]

The statue is not of George III or any royal. I think going from memory it is Robert Stewart. The statue was erected by the RDS when they ran the place.

[GrahamH]

It would seem to be the case alright.

Coming full circle back to the beginning of the thread, Frank McDonald mirrored our thoughts on the radio this morning:

"Leinster House stands for everything that is really abominable about the way we run politcs in this country. It is an absolutely awful place. The really shocking thing is that hardly anyone who populates it recognises that the place is absolutely decaying."



Suffice to say, FF handler Paddy Duffy weighed in with blustering retorts that characterised his entire contribution, where Metro was great, Arnotts' bombastic vision was great, Thornton Hall is great, the roads programme is great, and er, Leinster House is great. Sure where would we be altogedder without de aul development at any cost.

Is it any wonder we're in the mess we're in.

[EIA340600]

Was roaming around town today and found myself on Kildare Street.I noticed that there are works being carried out on the National Library and on Leinster House itself.Anybody have any idea what the works involve?

[tommyt]

Was roaming around town today and found myself on Kildare Street.I noticed that there are works being carried out on the National Library and on Leinster House itself.Anybody have any idea what the works involve?

FYI;
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_03/escapeDM2908_468x317.jpg

[WalterTirel]

Archive Image of the Stewart statue

[Paul Clerkin]

A cross section illustration of the winning design from 1884. Published in The Building News, November 28th 1884.

[thebig C]

Hey Graham

I have just noticed that the last engraving you posted of the losing French Neoclassical design for the National Design has dissappeared. I wonder could you re-post or even provide more info on this scheme?

C

[GrahamH]

Voila, thebig C. Not sure who it is by though. Surely an English entrant...

[StephenC]

Looks like Versailles

[thebig C]

Voila, thebig C. Not sure who it is by though. Surely an English entrant...

Merci Beaucoup!!! Perhaps it does contain an element of folly but there is something I like about that design.

Got any more "also rans" lurking in your treasure trove?

Many thanks again!

C

[Paul Clerkin]

So I saw today that E.W. Godwin had an entry in the first competition too. Now based on the knowledge that he travelled to Ireland on several occasions and his sketchbooks feature drawings of details of Irish medieval building etc., it would be interesting to see his design for the museum.