Come Here To Me!

In March 2013 we published an article on the site looking at the Papal Cross in the Phoenix Park. For the week that is in it I have revisited this subject, and this is an expanded piece on the subject. The original comments are included below.

Yellow and white pontifical flags are flying on the main streets. Bright coats of green paint have been slapped on hundreds of buildings and “Brits Out” and other graffiti have been scrubbed from thousands of walls. At Phoenix Park in Dublin a 200‐foot steel cross, bleachers and vast roped enclosures await a crowd of a million for an outdoor mass Sunday afternoon.

So wrote The New York Times days before Pope John Paul II arrived in Ireland in 1979. American readers were told that “no Pope has come to Ireland before, and John Paul’s visit is viewed here as a kind of papal blessing on Irish nationhood.” Never mind New York, perhaps the truest observation came from The Spectator on the neighbouring island, proclaiming that “Ireland in its history has been more loyal to Rome than Rome has been to Ireland.”

When it was all over, they made their way home from the Phoenix Park in their hundreds of thousands, still streaming out of the park six hours after the conclusion of mass. The Irish Independent correctly proclaimed that it all “proved the most major feat of organisation in the history of the state.”

Little remains to be said or written about that Papal visit of 1979. The lasting legacy, of course, is the Papal Cross monument in the Phoenix Park, which will be central to this weeks visit by Pope Francis. The story of its construction and placement in the Phoenix Park is the stuff of legend, with the structure turned around in mere weeks. The visit saw something in the region of a million people crowd into the park, with six thousand people in the choir alone. The Papal Cross was the work of Scott Tallon Walkers Architects, and cost an incredible £50,000. It was constructed in the Inchicore steelworks factory of J and C McGloughlin, and the structure weighed in at 31 tons. It, in many ways, was the main symbol of the event, attracting international media attention and designed to capture the magnitude of the occasion.

Writing about the cross in 2004, architect Ronnie Tallon gave some idea of how quickly the project was completed, noting that:

At the beginning of August 1979, I received a call from the Archbishop of Dublin appointing our practice to design and build an outdoor event for the celebration of Mass for one million people. He had just received confirmation that the Pope was coming to Ireland in eight weeks’ time.

The sheer scale of the event is clear from all the small details of the day. The Papal carpet alone was two acres in size, and was delivered to Dublin upon three lorries, each carrying thirty rolls. The carpet was made in Antrim, the home county of the Rev. Ian Paisley, something which the media didn’t fail to comment on. Ian Paisley outlined his “total opposition” to any attempt by the Pope to visit the north, and in the end Dundalk was as far north as he went.

Tallon recalled that “we decided that we required a cross the height of Nelson’s Pillar, which was 125 feet high, which would be clearly visible to all from the furthest reaches of the vast congregation and which would give a sense of focus to the occasion.” Tallon was afterwards awarded a Papal knighthood for his efforts in designing the cross and altar for the historic event. According to Tallon, “normally if you were doing a steel contract it would take six weeks to get the material in and another twelve weeks on top of that to have it fabricated and erected.”

The cross arrived at the park on 7 September, and took a rather unusual route, beginning its journey in Inchicore but heading into the city and crossing the O’Connell Bridge. The sheer size of the structure meant that this longer journey was required, as shorter routes would not accommodate the cross. It took two hundred-ton cranes to lift the cross into position. Was Tallon ultimately satisfied with his Papal Cross? He would tell a journalist that “I’m never happy with anything I’ve made and if I was I’d retire. It’s one of the difficulties of any creative society. You aim at perfection, which is impossible to achieve.”

(more…)

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Gabriel Lee is the only member of Eoin O’Duffy’s Pro-Franco ‘Irish Brigade’ to be commemorated with a public memorial in Ireland. A small plaque in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral marks the fact that he died fighting with the Fascist forces in Spain in 1937.

This is in stark contrast to the 20+ plaques and memorials across the island to Irishmen who fought with the International Brigades in defence of the Spanish Republic.

Gabriel Lee was born on 21 May 1904 in Kilcormac (formally known as Frankford), a small town in County Offaly between Tullamore and Birr. His parents were James Lee, a Sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), and Elizabeth Lee (née Conroy).

At the time of the 1911 Census, Gabriel Lee was living with his large family at 22 Townsend Street, Birr, County Offaly.

It is claimed that Gabriel Lee was a member of the Pre-Truce IRA although he only would have been in his mid to late teens during the War of Independence (1919-1921). Taking the Pro-Treaty side in the Civil War, he enlisted with the National Army on 25 March 1922 at Marlborough Hall, Dublin. When the Irish Army census was conducted in November 1922, he was serving with the 1st Battalion, South-Western Command at Mallow, County Cork. His home address was given as 45 Lower Drumcondra Road, Dublin.

During the early 1930s, Gabriel Lee served as Vice-Chairman of Fine Gael’s Dublin North West Exectutive and Vice-Divisional Director of the League of Youth, Dublin. He was known to his comrades as Gabe Lee.

A committed anti-Communist and devout Catholic, he left Galway with Eoin O’Duffy’s ‘Irish Brigade’ for Spain on 12 December 1936.

Gabriel Lee was injured by shellfire at Ciempozuelos on 13 March 1937 and was brought to Griñón Hospital, Madrid. Eoin O’Duffy recalled in correspondence that Lee had tried to “raise his hand in the Fascist salute” in his hospital bed. Apparently his “final request” was to be buried in a green shirt as retold in Fearghal McGarry’s 2007 biography of Eoin O’Duffy. This indicated his strong loyalty to O’Duffy who had broken away from Fine Gael in 1935 to form the National Corporate Party and the Greenshirts (military wing).

Gabriel Lee died of his wounds on 20 March and was buried in Cáceres, Spain with several other members of the ‘Irish Brigade’.

The Irish Brigade Headquarters, 12 Pearse Street, Dublin released a statement three days after Lee’s death to the Irish Independent (23 March 1937) saying that:

To those who scoff at the motives impelling such sacrifices we say that charity should dictate that only good be spoken of such bravery men. We in this Headquarters know how little inducement or hope of worldly gain was offered to the members of the Irish Brigade. We know their motives, and we know that the souls of these men are with God because they died for God.

Historian Robert Stradling believed that Gabriel Lee was the only individual who fought with Eoin O’Duffy’s ‘Irish Brigade’ in Spain to have a public memorial in Ireland. In Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral, there is a small plaque on a pew dedicated to his memory which I photographed over the weekend.

In total, I believe that 10 pro-Franco Irishmen were killed in action during the conflict. I have collected these dates, names and addresses from contemporary newspaper articles and death certificates via Irishgenealogy.ie:

1937-02-19 – Captain Thomas Hyde (40) of Ballinacurra, Midleton, Cork – killed at Ciempozuelos in friendly fire incident – buried in Cáceres, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-02-19 – Daniel Chute (27) of Boherbee, Tralee, County Kerry – killed at Ciempozuelos in friendly fire incident – buried in Cáceres, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-03-13 – John MacSweeney (23) of Mitchell’s Crescent, Tralee, County Kerry – died from wounds received on Madrid Front – buried in Cáceres, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-03-13 – Bernard Horan (23) of Mitchell’s Crescent, Tralee, County Kerry – died from wounds received on Madrid Front – buried in Cáceres, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-03-20 – Gabriel Lee (32) of 45 Lower Drumcondra Road, Dublin – died from wounds received on Madrid Front – buried in Cáceres, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-03-21 – Thomas Foley (30) of 16 Mary Street, Tralee, County Kerry – died from wounds received on Madrid Front. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-07-15 – Michael Weymes (29) of Mullingar, County Westmeath and later 2 Belton Park Gardens, Donnycarney, Dublin – killed at Villafranca del Castillo on the Mardrid Front- buried in Cáceres, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1938-08-? – Patrick Dalton of Pilltown, County Kilkenny- killed in Spain. Incorrectly listed as P. Dolan in one source. Described as Irish student in Spain studying to be a priest. Not Patrick Dalton (1897-1956) of Waterford/Dublin who also served in Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1938-09-10 – Daithi Higgins (21) of Ballyhooly, County Cork – killed at the Battle of the Ebro fighting with the Spanish Foreign Legion. Refs: (1)(2)(2)

1938-10-? – Austin O’Reilly of Kilmessan, Co Meath – killed at the Battle of the Ebro. Refs: (1)(2)

I have also calculated that about 21 of Eoin O’Duffy’s men also died in at home or abroad from diseases contracted while serving with the ‘Irish Brigade’:

1937-04-?? – John Walsh of Midleton, County Cork – died in Spain and buried in Cáceres. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-06-?? – Thomas Troy of Tulla, County Clare – died in Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-07-?? – Eunan McDermott of Erne Street, Ballyshannon, County Donegal – died in Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-07-24 – John McGrath (22) of Lenaboy Avenue, Salthill, County Galway – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1937-08-20 – Thomas Doyle of Roscrea, County Tipperary – died in Salamanca, Spain. Refs: (1)(2)

1938-01-08 – Matthew Barlow (44) of Chapel Street, County Longford – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1938-02-02 – John Cross (32) of 49 William Street, County Limerick – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1938-02-09 – Patrick Dwyer (32) of 19 Sheehy Terrace, Clonmel, County Tipperary – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1938-09-17 – Martin O’Toole (28) of Ballynacally, County Clare – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1939-03-04 – Patrick Collins (33) of Bandon, County Cork – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1939-03-27 – Thomas Slater (30) of 47 Garrymore, Clonmel, County Tipperary – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1939-04-12- James Doyle (22) of Boherglass, Clonlong, County Limerick and later 63 High Street, Thomondgate, County Limerick. Died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1939-06-29 – Francis Maguire (32) of Belgium Square, Monaghan Town, County Monaghan – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

1939-09-13 – Laurence Heaney (37) of 32 North Great George’s Street, Dublin – died in IRL. Refs: (1)(2)

1940-02-04 – William Tobin (37) of 2 Abbeyside, Cashel, County Tipperary – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

1940-02-05 – Philip Comerford (25) of Kells, County. Kilkenny – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

1940-03-23 – John McCarthy (37) of Castletownbere , County Cork – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

1940-03-26 – Austin Hamill (33) of Hill Street, Monaghan town, County Monaghan – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

1940-04-25 – Denis Maher (36) of 25 King Street, Clonmel, County Tipperary –  road traffic accident in IRL. Refs: (2)

1940-06-?? – Thomas Gunning of County Leitrim – died in Germany Refs: (2)

?? – Frank Nevin of 82 St. Lawrence Road, Clontarf Dublin – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

?? – Michael O’Donoghue of County Galway – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

?? – Patrick McGarry of Newtownforbes, County Longford – died in IRL. Refs: (2)

–

(1) Listed as one of the 21 men who “lost their lives” while serving with the Irish Brigade. The Irish Independent, 03 May 1939

(2) Listed as one of the 33 “deceased members” of the Irish Brigade. The Irish Independent, 16 October 1940

Thank to Gerard Farrell for additional documents and information.

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Earlier this week, the statue of Molly Malone was added to the Talking Statues series, an innovative and playful idea that allows Dubliners and visitors to engage with monuments in the city. Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and James Connolly (albeit without Edinburgh brogue) are just some of the monuments that are brought to life by the series. This summer is the thirtieth anniversary of the unveiling of the famous Dublin statue of Molly Malone,making her an ideal candidate for inclusion.

Molly Malone by Jeanne Rynhart took her place on the Dublin streetscape in 1988, the year of Dublin’s so-called Millennium. The historical merit of 1988 as a Millennium date for Dublin was widely disputed, but the year did lead to much civic pride and engagement. When quizzed on this, a Dublin Corporation official came out with something that was almost Flann O’Brienesque, insisting that when it came to historians, “you can never get these people to agree anyway. After all, there are some who say St Patrick never existed, but that doesn’t get rid of March 17th. And who picked December 25th as Christ’s birthday? Nobody was sure what the real day was, so they had to pick something.”

Rynhart’s proposal emerged victorious from dozens of entries, and was unveiled in December 1988 right at the end of the year of celebrations. When first revealed, the Irish Independent reported that “men reacted favorably to the buxom, six-foot Molly…wearing a low-cut, off the shoulder period dress, her hair immaculately braided.” In the eyes of one journalist, the monument had “more curves than a seventeenth century road through the Liberties.” In defending her work, Rynhart noted that Molly’s outfit was based on discussions  with costume experts from the National Museum of Ireland, and that “breasts would not have shocked seventeenth century Dubliners.”

Whatever about the criticisms of Molly’s appearance, the greatest criticism of the work came from the Independent Socialist politician Tony Gregory, who maintained that the monument was on the wrong side of the Liffey and should have been placed in a “place of historical relevance.” Still today, it seems peculiar Molly Malone – a fictional street trader – stands so far from the traders of Moore Street.

While Aosdana lamented the statue as being “entirely deficient in artistic point and merit” at the time of its unveiling, I am personally a great admirer of Rynhart’s Molly Malone. A strong mythology grew up around Molly Malone in 1988, when an attempt was made to sell the idea that she was based on a genuine seventeenth century fishmonger/prostitute (the 13 June was declared ‘Molly Malone Day’ in honour of a woman who had died on that date in 1699).  There was no need for it. To me, Molly Malone is not one woman from history, but a representation of women workers in a Dublin long gone. As for her location, I’m with the late Tony Gregory on that one.

Equally controversial was the Anna Livia fountain placed on O’Connell Street, which was quickly descended on by Fairy Liquid bandits who knocked great enjoyment out of watching suds spill over onto the street. Today, Anna Livia (the work of sculptor Éamonn O’Doherty) sits in the small public park at Wolfe Tone Quay, near to the National Museum of Ireland. Smaller acts, like the planting of hundreds of new trees in the city centre, also changed the appearance of the city centre in a meaningful way too during the doubtful Millennium.

 

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