The Wellington Monument (), or sometimes the Wellington Testimonial, is an
obelisk
An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...
located in the
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park () is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since ...
,
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, Ireland.
The testimonial is situated at the southeast end of the Park, overlooking
Kilmainham and the
River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...
. The structure is tall, making it the largest obelisk in Europe.
History
The Wellington Testimonial was built to commemorate the victories of
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. Wellington, a senior-ranking British military commander and, later, politician, also known as 'the Iron Duke', was born in Ireland. Originally planned to be located in
Merrion Square, it was built in the Phoenix Park after opposition from the square's residents.
The obelisk was designed by the architect
Sir Robert Smirke and the foundation stone was laid in 1817. There were plans for a statue of Wellington on horseback to be erected on a separate pedestal at the base of the obelisk, and when the obelisk was put in place in 1822, so too was this pedestal for the planned equestrian statue.
[ A shortage of funds eventually delayed the production of the intended statue, leaving the pedestal looking unfinished][ for some decades until Wellington's death in 1852 which provoked a renewed urgency to complete the monument so that it wouldn't "look like an insult", according to Professor Paula Murphy at UCD.][ On 18 June 1861 it was opened to the public.
]
Features
There are four bronze plaques cast from cannons captured at Waterloo – three of which have pictorial representations of his career while the fourth has an inscription.
Cultural references
The monument is referenced throughout James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...
's ''Finnegans Wake
''Finnegans Wake'' is a novel by Irish literature, Irish writer James Joyce. It was published in instalments starting in 1924, under the title "fragments from ''Work in Progress''". The final title was only revealed when the book was publishe ...
''. The first page of the novel alludes to a giant whose head is at " Howth Castle and Environs" and whose toes are at "a knock out in the park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
(p. 3)"; John Bishop extends the analogy, interpreting this centrally located obelisk as the prone giant's male member. A few pages later, the monument is the site of the fictional "Willingdone Museyroom" (p. 8).
Gallery
Image:Wellington Testimonial, 1830 v3.jpg, Engraving ca 1830 (including planned pedestal for statue of Wellington on horseback)
Image:WellingtonMonument1.jpg, Inscription
Image:WellingtonMonument2.jpg, Plaque
Image:WellingtonMonument3.jpg, 'Indian Wars'
Image:Waterloo Wellington.jpg, 'Waterloo'
Image:Dublin Irland-55.jpg, Aerial view
Footnotes
References
{{Wellesley
Buildings and structures in Dublin (city)
Obelisks in the Republic of Ireland
Monumental columns in the Republic of Ireland
Tourist attractions in Dublin (city)
Monuments to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Phoenix Park