1879 – Sir John Gray Statue, O’Connell Street, Dublin

A statue celebrating Sir John Gray (1816-75) for his efforts in bringing a water supply to Dublin in 1868. Gray was owner of the Freeman’s Journal, and chairman of the Dublin Corporation Water Works Committee between 1863 and 1875, and MP for Kilkenny from 1865 until his death. He was a supporter of Daniel O’Connell, and later of Charles Stewart Parnell, and advocated a repeal of the Act of Union.

The artist Thomas Farrell (1827-1900) was one of the most famous sculptors in Ireland in the second half of the nineteenth century. He was regularly commissioned to execute portrait busts and monumental sculpture for which his naturalistic style was particularly suited. Material-wise Farrell was more comfortable working with stone and only occasionally carried out work in bronze.