monument

Freestanding carved ashlar limestone monument, dated 1903, set on elevated grass mound. Carved stone figure of Erin holding funerary wreath, with wolfhound and high cross at her feet, on chamfered square-profile pedestal, on stepped base. Carved bust portraits in roundels to south, east and west elevations of pedestal, inscription to base of south elevation, and inscribed plaque to north elevation of pedestal. Located in centre of public park.

The statue of Erin is the central feature of Saint Michan’s Park, one of the smallest Victorian parks in Dublin city, which incorporates the foundations of Newgate Prison, demolished in 1893. Members of the United Irishmen are commemorated in the roundels of the pedestal, and the text implicates the prison in their deaths. The construction of the monument marked the centenary of Robert Emmet’s death in 1903, making it an early example of a nationalist monument. The ashlar stone statue was expertly crafted in the Celtic Revival style. The depiction of Erin, a wolfhound and a high cross, all popular motifs of the movement, drew on the traditions of Celtic literature and Insular art.