Today marks the 50th anniversary of the bombing
of Nelson's Pillar on Dublin's O'Connell Street in 1966. Despite the historic
and often controversial opinion in which the statue was held, the end and fate
of Nelson and his pillar could, perhaps, not have been predicted or foreseen.
On this anniversary, it is timely to look back into the archives of this period
and see just how this statue dominated the streetscape and skyline of Dublin's O'Connell
Street. By virtue of its location the pillar was a witness to some
of the most significant events in Irish history, as well as to the development of
the main thoroughfare of Ireland's capital city.
These images are from the Ritchie-Pickow archive within the
Hardiman Library of NUI Galway. Taken by American photographer George Pickow
when he and his wife, the famous American folk-singer, Jean Ritchie, came to
Ireland in 1952-53. Jean received a full-bright scholarship to come to Ireland
and immerse herself in the folk song tradition and culture of Ireland and
collected songs from many leading Irish singers and musicians, especially in the west of
Ireland. The couple also travelled through Dublin and took many incredible
images of a Dublin that is long removed from our own recognition. George was able
to take photographs from atop of Nelson's Pillar and this offers a viewpoint
through Pickow's own lens but also of a vantage point of Dublin city that
disappeared as quickly as the pillar itself.
Other images are also available images from the Ritchie-Pickow archive at
the Hardiman Library, NUI Galway.
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