Bray Head cross

RosieJoe

Someone's good at photoshop!

foxy06

Sure thats way too high up. How are you supposed to get the ball in??

Judgement Day

Nice to see that the village idiots have been up to daub the cross with graffiti - and of course nobody can have it removed. :rolleyes:

I thought the hoop had been drilled in?

RosieJoe

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought the hoop had been drilled in?

The mail I got with the picture in alleged that it was drilled into place alright but I presumed that was to make it more realistic.

RosieJoe

Update on this one, it is actually drilled in.

Link to article on it.

Judgement Day

I'm not RC, have no devotion to Mary and don't live in Bray anymore but I still find it quite appalling that this defacement was carried out. Worse still is that the UDC couldn't remove it within hours of it becoming public knowledge and as for the graffiti....:rolleyes:

loyatemu

DeBrayPeople wrote:

Bray Town Council said it planned to remove the hoop.

they should remove the rest of the damn cross while they're at it - its a concrete monolith erected at a time when Ireland was being run by its bishops... it has no aesthetic value whatsoever

Judgement Day

It wouldn't win any beauty awards but at this stage it has achieved iconic status and is associated with Bray Head. I'm sure that most people wouldn't even know that its origins stem from the Marian Year of 1950 and simply regard it as a focal point for their climb. I'd be sorry to see it go and the cost of demolition would be better spent on removing the gun emplacements on the seafront. Would the citizens of Rio remove their iconic statue?



Rio's alternative to Bray Head's Cross - not quite in the same league.

tdv123

Ah damn it. Thats where I was going to stick my T.V areial.

ProudDUB

Judgement Day wrote: »

It wouldn't win any beauty awards but at this stage it has achieved iconic status and is associated with Bray Head. I'm sure that most people wouldn't even know that its origins stem from the Marian Year of 1950 and simply regard it as a focal point for their climb.

I knew that. I am related to the family that had an iron foundry works in Bray back in the day. They got the commission of making and erecting the cross on Bray Head. The firm made shoes for horses and the chassis for horse drawn carriages mainly. When cars became the main mode of transport, the company hit hard times. The cross on Bray Head was their last swan song before they closed. One heckuva swan song if you ask me!

To this day, everyone in our family calls it "our cross". And yes, all the 14 year cousins love to make bad puns about the size of "our" erections. :rolleyes:

How dare you say that it wouldn't win any beauty contests. It kicks the ass of that tacky, over the top monstrosity in Rio.

Imhof Tank

ProudDUB wrote: »

I knew that. I am related to the family that had an iron foundry works in Bray back in the day. They got the commission of making and erecting the cross on Bray Head. The firm made shoes for horses and the chassis for horse drawn carriages mainly. When cars became the main mode of transport, the company hit hard times. The cross on Bray Head was their last swan song before they closed. One heckuva swan song if you ask me!

To this day, everyone in our family calls it "our cross". And yes, all the 14 year cousins love to make bad puns about the size of "our" erections. :rolleyes:

How dare you say that it wouldn't win any beauty contests. It kicks the ass of that tacky, over the top monstrosity in Rio.

My family were the contractors who built the cross so Ive been hearing about it my whole life. Lord Meath wouldnt let them bring up the matarials by truck via the only dirt track leading up close to the site of the cross. There was a lot of local resentment against the then Lord Meath apparantly because of this from hardline republicans and the god squad alike- sectarianism was mentioned. There were threats to burn down Kilruddery House for example. Allowing the horses up through the head was a compromise solution in the end, every spare horse in Bray was brought into service, and your folks made out like bandits on the shoes.

Imhof Tank

loyatemu wrote: »

they should remove the rest of the damn cross while they're at it - its a concrete monolith erected at a time when Ireland was being run by its bishops... it has no aesthetic value whatsoever

Kind of missing the point there possibly?

Basically its a replica of a gruesome torture implement. Its not up there for its asthetic qualities.

Tourists certainly like it as well, and i dont mean the pilgrim types. I met a bunch of trendy young Italians last time i was up there and they were all "bella vista", "magnifico" etc. They only climbed up there in the first place to discover the view because of the cross.

Wally Runs

Too right Judgement Day, it is appalling that the hill is defaced with cross and the UDC has not removed it.

Judgement Day

Wally Runs wrote: »

Too right Judgement Day, it is appalling that the hill is defaced with cross and the UDC has not removed it.

Hilarious but I lived in Bray for almost 30 years and never heard an adverse comment about the Cross from local or visitor alike. As a kid I spent a lot of time climbing about on Bray Head (last time about 1989) and I hate to think of the place going to rack and ruin.

zoobizoo

I was at a meeting regarding the town and a local architect suggested that the cross be increased to about 4 times the size and be lit up at night.

Couldn't agree more.

It would be a fantastic tourist attraction for the area.

Judgement Day

zoobizoo wrote: »

I was at a meeting regarding the town and a local architect suggested that the cross be increased to about 4 times the size and be lit up at night.

Couldn't agree more.

It would be a fantastic tourist attraction for the area.

Eh, no! It would be awful as well as being a magnet for cider parties and worse.

zoobizoo

Judgement Day wrote: »

Eh, no! It would be awful as well as being a magnet for cider parties and worse.

You may as well shut down the seafront and Bray Head altogether then.

As you said it has some iconic status; why not capitalise on that and turn it into something even more attractive.

foxy06

I dont think it should be increased in size but think it would be great to have it lit up.