Friday, August 28, 2009

MEMORIES OF MOUNT STREET

 
Bronze    Life Size
Commissioned by ' Peppercanister House '  Mount Street , Dublin , Ireland .
In celebration of Dublin's Millinuim Year 1988 .

The Story
This sculpture depicts a street game played by children of the ' inner city ' in the past . It was played by fixing a rope to the top of a street lamp - post to use as a swing . Now no more.........

The Press

A charming sculpture
Evening Press , February 3rd, 1992 by Adrian Mac Loughlin


This is the most charming sculpture to appear on Dublin's streets for a very long time. It is In Mount St. Crescent, beside St. Stephens Green “Peppercanister” Church and is the work of DAF .
Children have been tying ropes to lamp posts for swings as long as there have been lamp posts. DAF’s sculpture, erected for the 'millennium' year of 1988, was inspired by his memories of old Mount St. 'Memories of Mount St.' is Indeed its title. It combines simplicity and lack of ostentation with youth's innocence,vigour and love of life. Contrast it with the arrogant tilit of the unwanted James Joyce statue in North Earl Street. And the “Floosie’s” delusion of grandeur in O Connell St.


So far, the child on the swing hasn’t picked up a nickname. (Joyce has, but it’s unprintable). We Dubliners will probably develop a real affection for the little figure on the lamp post, and reserve the more incisive edges of our wit for pretentious junk, as we’ve always done.  

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

I like this one. Meaningful and brings back childhood memories. Every Street corner can have one to depict the simple pleasure of life through an innocent child.It can also reflect the local culture.

I recall seeing an advertisement showing school kids just left out of school and runing down a street with a caption thah goes something like this "It is an universal law that children walks to school; after school they run home." It brings out similar feeling.

I would love to have a similar sculpture at the junction of Blacksmith Road and Island Road (ask Jennifer where is that location) with a kid sitting atop a Red castiron Letter box (like the one of the Royal Mail)watching the traffic goes by. I used to do that more than 30 years ago in front of my dad's office.