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Nelson's Pillar - 46th anniversary

  • 08-03-2012 12:46am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭


    46 years ago today, on 8th March 1966, we woke up to the news that Nelson’s Pillar had been blown up.

    Hated by some but a familiar meeting place for many – is the spire that eventually replaced it any better as a city centre landmark?

    1966 was the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising and the subject of a school project I worked on, with a few classmates. Ireland was a much different place then.

    The 100th anniversary isn’t too far away – hopefully, we will see moves to commemorate the event in a positive light that will be of lasting benefit to all on this island North and South plus the UK.

    For Wikipedia link see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson's_Pillar.


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    golfwallah wrote: »
    46 years ago today, on 8th March 1966, we woke up to the news that Nelson’s Pillar had been blown up.

    Hated by some but a familiar meeting place for many – is the spire that eventually replaced it any better as a city centre landmark?

    1966 was the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising and the subject of a school project I worked on, with a few classmates. Ireland was a much different place then.

    The 100th anniversary isn’t too far away – hopefully, we will see moves to commemorate the event in a positive light that will be of lasting benefit to all on this island North and South plus the UK.

    For Wikipedia link see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson's_Pillar.

    Thanks for the reminder. I may be one of the few on here who remembers the day very well. I was in O'Connell St within a half hour of hearing the news on the morning radio. The whole of Dublin was abuzz with it.

    Even going in on the bus it was the main topic - 'did you hear the pillar was blown up' etc. The area in O'Connell St was cordoned off as far as the old Irish Press building - now a fast food restaurant. The GPO was shut. I then walked up North Earl Street to get a better/closer look. The pillar was cut in half by the blast and the rubble was strewn all over the place and the army and gardai were standing guard around.

    There was a sense of caution in the air by the 'security' personnel but average citizens just thought it all funny and I can remember people standing near the site just laughing. Nelson got blown off his perch etc. Jokes became common. The Half Nelson in O'Connell st. etc

    Within days the general feeling amongst the average person that I remember was that it ought to be re-built with a Irish patriot put on top instead of Nelson. Never happened. The other half was blown up by the army - the space left vacant for years - and, seeing as how you asked the question, now we have IMO the ugliest edifice that could possibly be placed there. But heck maybe the spire reflects our times, a meaningless, vacuous 'symbol' of a people without any strong cultural identity.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,577 ✭✭✭jonniebgood1


    I remember my Father telling me about the demolition. His main point was that when the Irish army undertook the demolition of what remained of the pillar that they used to much explosives and caused more damage to surrounding properties than the IRA bomb had done. The pillar would have been an impressive monument if it still stood, it would have been 200 years old recently. Before the 1950's the main criticism of it seems to have been either for its aesthetics or its disruption of traffic as opposed to what it represented.

    I studied the design of the pillar previously (in a comparison with the spire). It was revised by the Architect Francis Johnston so that it fitted in with his scale of structures on O'Connell street (then Sackville) such as the GPO.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭Ellis Dee


    I remember my Father telling me about the demolition. His main point was that when the Irish army undertook the demolition of what remained of the pillar that they used to much explosives and caused more damage to surrounding properties than the IRA bomb had done. The pillar would have been an impressive monument if it still stood, it would have been 200 years old recently. Before the 1950's the main criticism of it seems to have been either for its aesthetics or its disruption of traffic as opposed to what it represented.

    I studied the design of the pillar previously (in a comparison with the spire). It was revised by the Architect Francis Johnston so that it fitted in with his scale of structures on O'Connell street (then Sackville) such as the GPO.

    Your father was right. The damage done when the Army blew up the stump was far greater than caused in the original explosion. I wonder how many of those lads went on to claim compo for deafness.:) The windows that had been shattered in the first explosion and almost immediately repaired, plus a good few more, were wrecked again.:cool:

    I was on top of the pillar many times. What used to grate on me a bit was that it was some kind of ex-British Army servicemen's group that ran it and collected the proceeds. I found that offensive in the middle of the capital city of a supposedly sovereign state; the Brits should look after their own ex-military, including mercenaries who come from abroad and I wonder how the Brits would feel if they had a massive monument to some foreign military man in the middle of London.:eek:

    I was in a place called Balingen, Germany the day the explosion happened. I was delighted that someone had finally gotten rid of it before we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

    The Dubliners wrote and performed a wonderfully witty song about it, sung by the incomparable Ronnie Drew. It beats me how there are still many members of the national cringe brigade who would want to have statues of British royalty and military people all over the place, when we still don't have one of Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly and others like that who deserve them a lot more than Nelson ever did.

    Here's a link to the Dubliners' wonderful song about the Pillar. Sorry, I don't know how to embed YouTube clips, but click on the link and -- enjoy:

    "50 pounds of gelig-i-nite it sped him on his way
    and that lad that laid the charge we're in debt to him today."

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpIO8jFHPo


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    I'm trying to find photos of it all. The demolition actually took a few stages with an initial army blast removing the entire top stem/stairway that had been left - then the army had to use further blast to remove the base, and this is when the real damage was done to the surroundings.


    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRnM_zBfrnbg1rSf8DAsLRV38o5oZ3ZXFJQ4OiOQ5VkaVE87RLQ

    Somewhere in that crowd I may be - they moved the crowd back gradually as more people came.


    nelpil2.jpg

    This was the initial scaffolding that was put up.

    D11-Nelsons_Pillar_Dublin2.jpg


    Then they were left with the base - it was the removal of this that caused a ton of damage to Clerys windows and much of the surrounding area.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    golfwallah wrote: »
    46 years ago today, on 8th March 1966, we woke up to the news that Nelson’s Pillar had been blown up.

    Hated by some (and loved by many) but a familiar meeting place for many – is the spire that eventually replaced it any better as a city centre landmark?

    Sorry, I just had to include that in bold, and indeed it was loved by many, my parents born beside the Pheonix park being some of those who mourned its loss to Dublin City. It was of course a massive tourist attraction for the City, it was a meeting point too, I often think that if some people hated Nelson soo much then they should have replaced him with somebody else on the top > no need to ruin the pillar for everybody!
    golfwallah wrote: »
    The 100th anniversary isn’t too far away – hopefully, we will see moves to commemorate the event in a positive light that will be of lasting benefit to all on this island North and South plus the UK Britain.

    Adjusted that for you. The 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising will be fervently welcomed by Irish Republicans, embraced by Nationalist patriots, tolerated by others, avoided by many others, and blanked out by Unionists. I will make sure that myself and the family are abroad that week.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    LordSutch wrote: »
    Sorry, I just had to include that in bold, and indeed it was loved by many, my parents born beside the Pheonix park being some of those who mourned its loss to Dublin City. It was of course a massive tourist attraction for the City, it was a meeting point too, I often think that if some people hated Nelson soo much then they should have replaced him with somebody else on the top > no need to ruin the pillar for everybody!

    Yes, I agree - the Pillar was beloved by most people that I knew in Dublin at the time. And there was a sense of loss when the authorities decided to demolish it and take it all away. Far better to restore the top and put someone else up there was a widespread feeling at the time.

    Being the 50th Anniversary of the Rising many thought that it should have been restored with something commemorating 1916 to replace Nelson.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,182 ✭✭✭jos28


    I was living in England when Nelson's pillar was blown up, no idea how but one of our neighbours brought back a piece which I still have.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭golfwallah


    LordSutch wrote: »
    It was of course a massive tourist attraction for the City, it was a meeting point too, I often think that if some people hated Nelson soo much then they should have replaced him with somebody else on the top > no need to ruin the pillar for everybody!

    Have to agree with you on that.

    LordSutch wrote: »
    The 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising will be fervently welcomed by Irish Republicans, embraced by Nationalist patriots, tolerated by others, avoided by many others, and blanked out by Unionists. I will make sure that myself and the family are abroad that week.


    Wouldn't agree with you there - I think the peace process and Queen's visit are marking an end to old animosities and a new mutual respect for one another's cultural backgrounds.

    This gives us all the opportunity to look at the positives for the 100th anniversary of 1916.

    Not only does the anniversary present the opportunity for cultural activities (including cross-border ones), it also presents business opportunities for both North and South.

    One example is "1916 The Musical" (a musical with a cross cultural love story set against the events of the 1916 rising): http://www.1916themusical.com/


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,920 ✭✭✭Einhard


    MarchDub wrote: »
    But heck maybe the spire reflects our times, a meaningless, vacuous 'symbol' of a people without any strong cultural identity.

    I quite like the spire. It may mean nothing to you, but it does to others, even if that meaning is purely aesthetic (or not as the case may be). When you describe it in such terms as you have, you implicitly denigrate those who just happen to have a different perspective on the thing.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    Einhard wrote: »
    I quite like the spire. It may mean nothing to you, but it does to others, even if that meaning is purely aesthetic (or not as the case may be). When you describe it in such terms as you have, you implicitly denigrate those who just happen to have a different perspective on the thing.

    The OP asked what we thought - and I gave my personal opinion which I stand by. I pass the ugly thing frequently and it isn't even wearing well IMO so aesthetically to me, it's ugly - most especially when compared to what it replaced. I have no problem with what you may think of its aesthetics. Your interpretation or response to what I said sounds to me like denigration of my opinion and little else.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭golfwallah


    Everyone is entitled to an opinion - the more the merrier, I say.

    And wouldn't the world be a boring place if everyone thought the same way!

    So, let's cool it guys and demonstrate that we can live with different opinions - whether they be about the Pillar, the Spire or different cultural / political views, North & South.:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,577 ✭✭✭jonniebgood1


    Opinion on the spire is subjective IMO. Different aspects of it will appeal to different people. With regard to the criticisms its design receives it has similarities with Nelsons pillar which was seen as being 'ugly' in an 1879 attempt to have it removed. It got much criticism for its aesthetics.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    Oscar Wilde. The Critic as Artist...


    "Aesthetics are higher than ethics. They belong to a more spiritual sphere." :):cool:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    MarchDub wrote: »
    Oscar Wilde. The Critic as Artist...


    "Aesthetics are higher than ethics. They belong to a more spiritual sphere." :):cool:

    Aaaah, so that explains the ethics of why the banks gave Sean Dunne almost €400 million to buy a site to built an aesthetic glass tower.:D

    Sad to see some of the usual urban myth Pillar rubbish coming up again in the earlier posts. The IRA tried to demolish the Pillar and failed miserably – they blew a gap which caused the top to fall off. That left a considerably weakened structure, which was a nightmare for anyone to tackle. All commercial explosive experts would – then as now - have run a mile; the Army did a good job considering the size and mass of the stump.

    Before it was initially blown up there was a growing movement to replace ‘it’ or rather replace the statue of Nelson with one of Mary; thankfully that did not happen. Trafalgar was a huge victory in its day, very popular in Ireland because a considerable number of the RN sailors were Irish and that is why the public subscription was completed so quickly – the Dublin Pillar was one of the first to be erected, long before the one in Trafalgar Sq in London.

    As kids we used to buy bangers in Moore St. before Halloween , light them and drop them from the top – it used to cost 6d to go up. Great to see the people below looking about to see where the bang came from.

    Personally, I like the ballad ascribed to Brendan Behan on another statue – the Gough Memorial – and the pathetic effort by the ‘Patriots’

    There are strange things done from twelve to one
    In the Hollow at Phaynix Park,
    There's maidens mobbed and gentlemen robbed
    In the bushes after dark;
    But the strangest of all within human recall
    Concerns the statue of Gough,
    'Twas a terrible fact, and a most wicked act,
    For his bollix they tried to blow off!
    'Neath the horse's big prick a dynamite stick
    Some gallant 'hayro' did place,
    For the cause of our land, with a match in his hand
    Bravely the foe he did face;
    Then without showing fear - and standing well clear –
    He expected to blow up the pair
    But he nearly went crackers, all he got was the knackers
    And he made the poor stallion a mare!
    For his tactics were wrong, and the prick was too long
    (the horse being more than a foal)
    It would answer him better, this dynamite setter,
    The stick to shove up his own hole!
    For this is the way our 'haroes' today
    Are challenging England's might,
    With a stab in the back and a midnight attack
    On a statue that can't even ****e!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭golfwallah


    The IRA tried to demolish the Pillar and failed miserably – they blew a gap which caused the top to fall off. That left a considerably weakened structure, which was a nightmare for anyone to tackle. All commercial explosive experts would – then as now - have run a mile; the Army did a good job considering the size and mass of the stump.

    Before it was initially blown up there was a growing movement to replace ‘it’ or rather replace the statue of Nelson with one of Mary; thankfully that did not happen. Trafalgar was a huge victory in its day, very popular in Ireland because a considerable number of the RN sailors were Irish and that is why the public subscription was completed so quickly – the Dublin Pillar was one of the first to be erected, long before the one in Trafalgar Sq in London.

    Very informative .... thanks for that!:)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    Found this newspaper report from the Indo - as can be seen from one report 'souvenir' hunters were early on the scene - someone is reported as making off with the sword - and of course Nelson's head went missing for a time. I seem to remember students stole it.




    1966-03-08-01_NELSON%27S_PILLAR_BLOWN_UP__38416_zoom.jpg

    And interesting to see the headline from the Evening Press -

    pillar1966.jpg


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 564 ✭✭✭thecommietommy


    I remember my Father telling me about the demolition. His main point was that when the Irish army undertook the demolition of what remained of the pillar that they used to much explosives and caused more damage to surrounding properties than the IRA bomb had done. The pillar would have been an impressive monument if it still stood, it would have been 200 years old recently. Before the 1950's the main criticism of it seems to have been either for its aesthetics or its disruption of traffic as opposed to what it represented.

    I studied the design of the pillar previously (in a comparison with the spire). It was revised by the Architect Francis Johnston so that it fitted in with his scale of structures on O'Connell street (then Sackville) such as the GPO.
    Not trying to be smart with you, but when the IRA's bomb blew up the Nelson statue at the top, the force dissipated into the surrounding empty air. However, when the army had to blow up the rest at the base, the force had to dissipate into the surrounding area which included the nearby buildings.

    The surviving head of Nelson's statue can be seen in the upstairs library on Pearse St, Dublin.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,577 ✭✭✭jonniebgood1


    when the IRA's bomb blew up the Nelson statue at the top, the force dissipated into the surrounding empty air. However, when the army had to blow up the rest at the base, the force had to dissipate into the surrounding area which included the nearby buildings.

    Could you clarify this point- I don't fully see what you are saying? Did the IRA bomb cause more damage?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 564 ✭✭✭thecommietommy


    Sad to see some of the usual urban myth Pillar rubbish coming up again in the earlier posts. The IRA tried to demolish the Pillar and failed miserably – they blew a gap which caused the top to fall off. That left a considerably weakened structure, which was a nightmare for anyone to tackle. All commercial explosive experts would – then as now - have run a mile; the Army did a good job considering the size and mass of the stump.
    If the IRA wanted to demolish the whole tower with a single explosion they would have placed the explosives at the base, not the top. Whether you agree or disagree with it, they made their point and the pillar had to be demoished as a consequnce, therefore a totally successful operation for the IRA.
    Before it was initially blown up there was a growing movement to replace ‘it’ or rather replace the statue of Nelson with one of Mary; thankfully that did not happen.
    Never heard that and I listened to a documentary on radio about it and read a few articles down the years, link please
    Trafalgar was a huge victory in its day, very popular in Ireland because a considerable number of the RN sailors were Irish and that is why the public subscription was completed so quickly – the Dublin Pillar was one of the first to be erected, long before the one in Trafalgar Sq in London.
    I'd very much doubt if any British victory was popular with the vast majority of the ordinary decent of people in Ireland as it was in 1805 just 7 years after the 1798 rebellion when approx 30,000 Irish people were murdered by British forces. Country's don't celebrate those who murder their own people - except collaborators etc

    As for a large number of RN sailors been from Ireland, I'm sure quite a lot of them were press ganged and the others due to the ecnomic extortion imposed by the British on Ireland were sadly economic conscripts. It's one of the consequences of occupation and the economic extortion that goes with it, that the victims often have to serve the state to survive, whether it be the Romans, Nazi's or British.
    Personally, I like the ballad ascribed to Brendan Behan on another statue – the Gough Memorial – and the pathetic effort by the ‘Patriots’
    Gough was a unionist mouthpiece and one of the leaders of the Curragh Mutiny in 1914, pity someone didn't blow him up instead.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub



    Gough was a unionist mouthpiece and one of the leaders of the Curragh Mutiny in 1914,

    Yes, Brigadier General Hubert Gough was a great favourite of the Unionists and was in the forefront of the Curragh Mutiny.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    .

    Personally, I like the ballad ascribed to Brendan Behan on another statue – the Gough Memorial – and the pathetic effort by the ‘Patriots’

    Never heard of it being 'ascribed' to Behan before - who regarded himself as being a patriot and a nationalist. Behan was a close and lifelong friend of Cathal Goulding Commander in Chief of the IRA -

    In fact the composer/writer of the quoted ballad is Vinny Caprini,a lightweight composer of what are usually referred to as 'rowdy rhymes'.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    Never heard that and I listened to a documentary on radio about it and read a few articles down the years, link please

    The main promoters for putting Mary up there were the fanatics in the Irish League of Decency, headed by JB Murray and Mary Kennedy. However, long before them there were several other attempts. (Years later - 1978 - Murray had a heart attack while on the phone to de papers complaining about RTE’s first televised nude scene in ‘The Spike’ .) Also:-

    Dublin Corporation frequently discussed the removal of Nelson from the top of the Pillar, with unimplemented plans announced in 1876, 1881, 1891, 1923 and 1928. Thomas Bodkin, a former director of the National Gallery was invited in the 1950s by the government to give a lecture on the Pillar. He was critical of the idea of replacing Nelson with a statue of the Virgin Mary: ‘I can’t help thinking that she would not like to take charge of a column that was subscribed for and erected to the memory of someone else.’ Yvonne Whelan, Reinventing Modern Dublin (Dublin, 2003), p.204.
    I'd very much doubt if any British victory was popular with the vast majority of the ordinary decent of people in Ireland as it was in 1805 just 7 years after the 1798 rebellion when approx 30,000 Irish people were murdered by British forces. Country's don't celebrate those who murder their own people - except collaborators etc
    As for a large number of RN sailors been from Ireland, I'm sure quite a lot of them were press ganged and the others due to the ecnomic extortion imposed by the British on Ireland were sadly economic conscripts. It's one of the consequences of occupation and the economic extortion that goes with it, that the victims often have to serve the state to survive, whether it be the Romans, Nazi's or British.

    You are entitled to your views - however emotive and bigotted. The facts speak from themselve, the subscription was filled extremely quickly and the Pillar was arguably the second one erected - the first was in Scotland. The RN pressed sailors everywhere, including out of American ships (read up on HMS Leopard) which was one of the factors that fuelled the start of the British American war. You might also consider researching the economic merits of the RN to the poorer population of Munster (victualling, butter markets) and the bases in Queenstown and Berehaven, or even the horse trade from Ireland during the Napoleonic wars.
    Gough was a unionist mouthpiece and one of the leaders of the Curragh Mutiny in 1914, pity someone didn't blow him up instead.

    You obviously don't know your history - you have your Goughs confused:rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    If the IRA wanted to demolish the whole tower with a single explosion they would have placed the explosives at the base, not the top. Whether you agree or disagree with it, they made their point and the pillar had to be demoished as a consequnce, therefore a totally successful operation for the IRA.


    My recollection of the time was just what you say - that the issue was the statue not the pillar - so the explosive was placed purposely so as to blow up the statue of Nelson. That was why only the top was touched.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    MarchDub wrote: »
    Never heard of it being 'ascribed' to Behan before - who regarded himself as being a patriot and a nationalist. Behan was a close and lifelong friend of Cathal Goulding Commander in Chief of the IRA -

    In fact the composer/writer of the quoted ballad is Vinny Caprini,a lightweight composer of what are usually referred to as 'rowdy rhymes'.

    Ulick O'Connor maintained that Behan wrote it; Behan never denied or affirmed it, according to O'Connor because he did not want to cause offence to his IRA friends. Caprani is another possible source that is often mentioned. I'm open....
    P.
    PS what's wrong with my 'ascribed' ? = credited or attributed;):p


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    MarchDub wrote: »
    My recollection of the time was just what you say - that the issue was the statue not the pillar - so the explosive was placed purposely so as to blow up the statue of Nelson. That was why only the top was touched.

    No, the explosion was about half way up; the IRA used a necklace charge, which would have caused the weight of the upper part to fall down 'vertically' - that can be seen by the way in which the rubbles was spread around the sides. They wanted to destroy the pillar, not just the statue.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    Ulick O'Connor maintained that Behan wrote it; Behan never denied or affirmed it, according to O'Connor because he did not want to cause offence to his IRA friends. Caprani is another possible source that is often mentioned. I'm open....

    TBH I think that O'Connor may have been just stirring it up a bit - as he likes to do but not getting into that. The controversy over Behan between O'Connor and Goulding went into the courts AFAIK.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,029 ✭✭✭Wicklowrider


    I remember my Father telling me about the demolition. His main point was that when the Irish army undertook the demolition of what remained of the pillar that they used to much explosives and caused more damage to surrounding properties than the IRA bomb had done.

    <<-SNIP->>. The reality was because the remains of the pillar was below the level of the surrounding building the explosion was going to be somewhat contained. Several international demolition companies looked at the job and declined because they knew it couldn't be done in one go without damaging the surrounding buildings. Some of the damage claims submitted were believed to have happened as far back in the shelling in 1916 (some cracks were found to have moss growing in them). Several of the buildings owners did not comply with basic instructions such as leaving windows open etc.

    Men present that day went on to distinguish themselves throughout the troubles and abroad. They were the forerunners of today's elite EOD teams that make safe viable devices on your streets weekly. <<-SNIP->>


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭golfwallah


    Some good informative posts and interesting pics, but reading the tetchy ones, it would seem that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing – especially on an internet forum. Don’t believe people would behave like this if they met in person.

    I’m not interested in being controversial - just looking for memories and, perhaps, a few ideas for the future. Remember we are in a recession, need to learn a bit from the past and move forward with solutions to problems, especially for young people, who are the future of this little country of ours.

    If history teaches us anything it is the importance of toleration and respect for views that are different from our own.

    So, guys, can we please get away from the blame game and all the negativity. Let's focus on the positives – how can we all make something good come from the lessons of the past – particularly the 100th anniversary of 1916 – and in an inclusive way, for people from all shades of political opinion.

    Brings to mind the quote that “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    <<-SNIP->>. The reality was because the remains of the pillar was below the level of the surrounding building the explosion was going to be somewhat contained. Several international demolition companies looked at the job and declined because they knew it couldn't be done in one go without damaging the surrounding buildings. Some of the damage claims submitted were believed to have happened as far back in the shelling in 1916 (some cracks were found to have moss growing in them). Several of the buildings owners did not comply with basic instructions such as leaving windows open etc.

    Men present that day went on to distinguish themselves throughout the troubles and abroad. They were the forerunners of today's elite EOD teams that make safe viable devices on your streets weekly. <<-SNIP->>

    Mod
    Insulting other users, or in this case their father is against the spirt of this board. Infraction given. If you persist in such behaviour I will issue a ban


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,649 ✭✭✭✭CDfm



    Men present that day went on to distinguish themselves throughout the troubles and abroad. They were the forerunners of today's elite EOD teams that make safe viable devices on your streets weekly.

    Couldn't you just edit your thread.

    I know the phrase,which I have omitted, is a colloquialism but it takes away rather than adds to what is otherwise a decent post.


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