James Connolly Memorial Statue

The bronze James Connolly statue stands under the bridge at Beresford Place with the plough and the stars and his own quote behind him — «The cause of Labour is the cause of Ireland — the cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour».
Connolly was a committed socialist and heavily involved in the incipient Irish trade union movement but it was the manner of his death that brought many people around to the need for Irish independence. After taking part in the 1916 Rising, he was shot and seriously injured. Despite this, he was still tied to a chair in Kilmainham Gaol and executed by firing squad.
Today, his statue (by artist Eamonn O’Doherty) looks onto the considerable oncoming traffic, no doubt hoping that most of the drivers are carpooling.

James Connolly who was born in Edinburgh, but whose family came originally from Monaghan was the founder of the Irish labour party, right hand man to Jim Larkin in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, founder of the Irish Citizen Army, (whose role was to protect members, from police harassment), and of course most famous of all notable signatory of the Irish declaration of Independence & in effect de facto commander in chief of the rebel army of 1916.
This bronze statue which has a distinctly Lenin-​like appearance, was unveiled in 1996, the 80^th anniversary of the ill fated Easter rising.
It depicts him in statesman-​like stance in front of the ‘Starry Plough’ a traditional socialist symbol of course, but given particular potency when it was adopted by Connolly’s I.C.A, (whose original Liberty Hall HQ once stood just opposite), and the remark that a free Ireland would control its own destiny from the plough to the stars.
Either side of the Starry Plough is inscribed one of James Connolly’s most famous quotes:
«The cause of labour is the cause of Ireland, and the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour.»
The whole work still looks a suitably powerful political symbol which is it’s intention.
If you didn’t know enough about him then this might just appear an austere political image, and anyway it’s impossible for a piece of bronze to reflect the far more solid humanity of a such a man of rare integrity and determination to fight poverty & injustice as James Connolly was, but this a dramatic attempt.