British Symbolism on Buildings in Ireland
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@dodger wrote:
One last point while we consider what grand buildings the British gave us. We can have no idea of what would have built by the Irish themselves in their places had we not been colonised and our native industries, trades destroyed. Who is to say we would not have built grander and better. Afterall pre colonisation we were doing alright and had made a contribution to international architecture.
Dodger, sometimes you just have to accept things for what they were and move on.
ct the verb you’re looking for is emblazon, methinks there is no noun.
So there, now.
Its sad that there is a failure by some to realise that the anglo-Irish who commissioned the majority of our great buildings in the 18th-19th centuries should not be dissmissed as being British. I also don’t accsept that the influance of architects from outside Ireland is a bad thing, we are priviliged to having work by the likes of Sir William Chambers, just as today our National Gallery extension is by outside an practice and rightfully so.
I reluctantly checked thesaurus.com (I’m a proud man, don’tya know) and the word I was thinking of was ‘cipher’- to do with letters intertwined. So it would be suitable for Victoria’s monogram, but not Edward’s or George’s, both of which are standard capitals.
When I worked for the NIAH we used ‘insignia’ and ‘monogram’ interchangeably.Thanks to all for input.
The “Irish Embassy” pub in Toronto has a big plaque outside the door declaring the building the “British Colonial Building”. 😀
Ctesiphon – not sure that you’re right ; cipher is correctly used for figures, from the French “chiffre” – number.
Lunasa – not sure that you’re right either; emblazon is when the arms are put on the building, as in “Emblazoned with the Arms of …..”
I do agree that monogrammed is done to linen, not buildings. Cannot (yet) think of the word you seek.What about just plain ‘initialed’ or ‘inscribed’?
With respect to the statues, I think they only bother people who let themselves be bothered by ’em. Isn’t one of the finest examples of Nazi architecture actually the former german embassy in London?
Escutcheon??????
With respect to the statues, I think they only bother people who let themselves be bothered by ’em. Isn’t one of the finest examples of Nazi architecture actually the former german embassy in London?
A building is not a statue. I imagine that the statue of Hitler, if any, ( and the pictures on the wall ) have been removed. And Nazi insignia too.
@asdasd wrote:
A building is not a statue. I imagine that the statue of Hitler, if any, ( and the pictures on the wall ) have been removed. And Nazi insignia too.
I wasn’t really intending to write all that as one paragraph. The two sentences weren’t meant to be related, sorry for the confusion.
However, what about statues of roman emperors in Britain, France or Germany? They ruled with iron fists and oftentimes did much worse to the populations of Britannia, Gaul and Germania than the brits did to us. Should the statues of those ‘nasty’ emperors be sent back to italy for example?
Should the statues of those ‘nasty’ emperors be sent back to italy for example?
People forget with time, in any case Roman imperialism was not extreme in Britain, at all, and non-existant in Germany. The fact is – too – we celebrate English leaders we like. Gladstone for instance has a few streets named after him – and generally in places where the main street has been changed to an Irish patriot.
( Had the house of lords not rejected his Home Rule proposals, we would almost certainly now be in the UK).
@Rusty Cogs wrote:
The Excise bar in the IFSC has a stone set in it’s facade ‘His Majesties Excise Office 1827″
(1821)
The first time I went down to the docklands and saw that, it was eerie. It was a very tangible feeling of being under British rule. I think it was because nothing had been done to that part of the docklands at that point (early ‘90s) – it was like stepping into the past. The effect probably wouldn’t be the same today because of the regeneration. Still, I’m sure it is a bit of an eyecatcher for people who see it for the first time.I hope nobody has forgotten the Royal National Lifeboat Insitution (RNLI) which has a crown on it symbolising the monarchy. Every lifeboat station in the country will have that on it’s building.
I was told (by some Donegal extremely nationalist lifeboat operators) that the reason the crown is kept is because they get alot of their funding from voluntary contributions from people in English cities. The Donegal guys bemoaned the fact that the Irish people had little interest in supporting the lifeboats to the extent that the English do. Don’t know if it’s true or not, but these guys viewed keeping the crown as essential to keeping the boats servicable, whether they liked the crown being there or not.
In the TCD car park by Nassau Street there is a plaque, a bit worn, to someone who died in 1916, what makes it unusual is that this person died fighting against the rising.
on the subject of statues of nazis, sean russell in fairview park is still missing his head!
Finally got around to finding the book – it’s CYPHER, “a monogram, sometimes ensigned with a coronet of rank and used as a personal or household device.” Popular in 18th and 19th centuries when the use of armorial badges was in decline, and the new rich of the Ind. Revolution felt a need for some means of personal identity. The re-introduction of grants of badges by the College of Arms in 1906 was instrumental in stemming the tide to some extent. Cyphers are not generally subject to heraldic authority, but those of the English royal family are usually recorded at the College of Arms.
srismhh as in accissWhat’s the book, KB2?
Interesting that it’s spelled with a ‘Y’, but nice to have the confirmation. 😉It’s “A Dictionary of Heraldry” edited by Stephen Friar, published by Harmony Books in NY. Great bedside book, full of arcane info such as the duties of theChampion of England!
KB2I think Baggot Street Hospital may have something like what you’re looking for – in the name written in big letters across the doorway. (I can’t remember what the full title is).
Passing by it today I saw the official name in gold letters above the front door – “Royal City of Dublin Hospital”
And I don’t think The Royal Hospital in Donnybrook has been mentioned.
@corcaighboy wrote:
Although I don’t know of any physical references to British rule, the name of the ‘Old English Market’ in Cork probably qualifies as a partial form of British symbolism.
@burge_eye wrote:
I was told by a reliable Corkonian source that it was called the “English” market because the sellers spoke English. Up until then Irish was spoken. I’m sure someone will tell me if it’s arse.
I’m not an authority on this, but I think it’s called the ‘English Market’ due to the ethnicity, rather than the language, of its patrons and/or sellers.
To back up this claim, I noticed that there is a sign in Grand Parade pointing to the market. The sign is in Irish and says “Sean Mhargadh na Sacsan”.
There are also several Royal Standards and insignia around UCC, particularly on the old building in the Quad.
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