What the????

Interceptor

I was driving to Longford this morning, and in Lanesboro on the bend in front of the ESB generating station I saw all these flags and thought there had been a festival.

Closer inspection revealed this - a monument to a hunger striker which was unveiled yesterday at a ceremony attended by 700 people. I asked at the nearest shop and several people thought that this guy had lived in Lanesboro at some stage. I was shocked that such a monument could be erected in a public place and that the people of Longford would allow it. This is three metres square with a wall on three sides. I think it is tasteless, antagonistic and unnecessary. I'm sure Sinn Fein paid for it with their own money, however I understand from a bystander that it doesn't have planning permission.

In the run up to an election I will be asking Sinn Fein about their plans for a modern Ireland and if we can expect one of these in every town. Would you want this near your house? Vote carefully.

'cptr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Hurson

gandalf

Well if it doesn't have planning permission it should be removed.

As usual the Chuckies don't follow the law of the land.

Duiske

Any questions you have for politicians about their plans would probably be best directed at Fianna Fail regarding the "National Emergency" in the health service. A memorial to someone who gave his life for something that he believed in would not make it into my "what stinks in Ireland" list.

Interceptor

Duiske_Lad wrote:

Any questions you have for politicians about their plans would probably be best directed at Fianna Fail regarding the "National Emergency" in the health service.

Oh I'll be doing plenty of that too, don't worry. Finger pointing isn't going to fix anything, but this leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I think this memorial is as relevant as me sticking a large memorial to Farzad Bazoft outside my house and I don't like it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farzad_Bazoft

'c

biko

I've no problem with a monument like that.

MrJoeSoap

biko wrote:

I've no problem with a monument like that.

If someone tried to put one near my house I'd tear it down myself.

fade2black

I hate the way Sinn Fein seem to think they have a monolopy on injustice. And they latch themselves on, like leeches, to wherever they see it in this country. Someone, has to sit for 2 hours in a hospital and we see in the next issue of the (usually free) local rag [insert sinn feinn politician here] has called on the health minister to bla bla bla.

Ag marbh

I don't really see how this would effect anyone...

Pigman II

I wonder has anyone used it as a public convenience yet?

joe_chicken

The monument isn't too bad...

the flags are a good bit OTT though

delly

I'd be pissed if it was near my gaff. I'm already sick of the black flags hanging off every bloody lamppost around the place.

popebenny16

Is it just me or does it remind you of Del Boy's monument to his mother in Only Fools and Horses? I mean, it's a bit chav, isnt it? It seems to be as new as the houses behind it, wonder if the same builder did it?

I like the way he's all in his blanket, didnt know monumental sculpers did that. Cant wait for my headstone now, the one with all the porn on it.

BuffyBot

Very cheap and nasty on probably should be removed on aesthetic grounds alone..however, if it doesn't have permission, it shouldn't have went up, and if it doesn't obtain permission, it needs to come down.

Dyr

in other news: omfgz theres big bunny statues on oconnell street! planning permission violations!!11! pagan fertility symbols! :eek: Disgusting! wont someone PLEASE think of the children etc

The hunger striker thing looks prefectly alright to me , No AK-47's or ostentatious paramilitary symbols, not too sure on the GAA stylee county flags though. Who knows, in time it could attract loyalist tourists who want to be photographed eating chicken suppers beside it.

mike65

Those memorials remind me of GAA club cup trophies.

Mike.

Interceptor

Bambi wrote:

in time it could attract loyalist tourists who want to be photographed eating chicken suppers beside it.

D'ya think? I wonder what the guys from Stoke or Walsall or Bristol make of it when they come over for a spot of fishing on Lough Ree. I picked up some Czech hitch hikers a while ago - I should have asked them what they thought. I wonder if a monument to the Black and Tans was put up in Manchester would I be inclined to go far a look? I don't think so...

'c

Dyr

I'm not sure there's many loyalists/fishing enthusiasts who live in walsall or stoke, and Im damn sure there's very few who live in the czech republic, so your concern is probably needless. BTW did you ever worry about what south africans make of the entrance arch to stevens green? nope? neither did i, so im not going to fret over whether that hunger striker yoke upsets some mary whitehouse english type.

DemonOfTheFall

If that was near my house I would absolutely trash it.

fade2black

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

If that was near my house I would absolutely trash it.

Shankill by name Shankill by nature eh.

Dyr

Somehow, I dont think you would, that's just brave e-talk on your part i feel.

As an aside: when demonofthefall is chosen as a username isnt it traditonal to apply the suffix 666??

DublinWriter

gandalf wrote:

Well if it doesn't have planning permission it should be removed.

Take a drive around some of the back roads of Cork and Kerry and you'll see lots of what I like to call 'Shinner Stones', much like the OP's example.

Most of them are at sides of roads and commemorate various battles of the Civil War and War of Independence.

Most aren't black marble like the one OP shows, most are grey slate, like a tombstone, only slightly bigger, with the letters "IRA" at the very top. They are always very well maintained.

I think the reason that they're not removed is that Council Meetings are a matter of public record, and most of the local FF/FG councellors in those wards don't want to be indentified as being the ones who want them taken down for obvious reasons.

Feelings down those parts still run pretty high and they can't even erect a signpost to Michael Collins' birthplace without it being ripped down.

Pompey Magnus

Jesus it is just a monument to a dead man, I would have no problem with it whatsoever. It is a hell of alot better than some of the rubbish abstract monuments we have in this country (the spike, the massive globe thing in Naas etc)

gandalf

Well I suppose as the Chuckies have their new monument there should really be a parade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58U_iqNkUfY&feature=Recent&page=3&t=t&f=b

Mr.D.Leprachaun

fade2black wrote:

I hate the way Sinn Fein seem to think they have a monolopy on injustice. And they latch themselves on, like leeches, to wherever they see it in this country. Someone, has to sit for 2 hours in a hospital and we see in the next issue of the (usually free) local rag [insert sinn feinn politician here] has called on the health minister to bla bla bla.

What's wrong with speaking out against something that's obviously wrong? Now I get that you're probably objecting to their politicising it if something is wrong why should you roll your eyes just at someone speaking out against it?

On topic if it had planning permission I wouldn't mind except for the GAA flags. I'll leave my rant about them somewhere else...