Before my trip to Dublin when I started my blog I did a lot of research on the Internet to get myself into the right mood and of course to be better prepared for the coming weeks. As a language teacher and a bit of a language freak who is awfully attracted to sculptures, I got really impressed when I found that web page about the statues of Dublin and their Notorious Nicknames. At first, I bookmarked it and then added it to my blog info bar to be sure that I don’t lose it. Walking around, discovering these statues in the real life and taking photos of them gave me an idea to take a picture with all these mentioned statues and here they are. I have to admit that I forgot the Ace with a Base, still passed it several times, but didn’t take a picture. I will definitely do it on Christmas time, probably Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzie is still standing on Grafton street and waiting for me.
A statue for the ordinary women in Dublin, with a nickname” Hags with the Bags”, one of the bags was snatched a little while after the statue was placed there, but fortunately, it was returned afterwards.
The Spire of Light, over one hundred and twenty meters long, located at O’Connell Street and placed there to celebrate the Millenium. A good landmark if you are new in Dublin. But it seemed that the locals don’t like it as much as the tourists do 🙂 Also known as Needle or just Spire.
Molly Mallone, still wheeling her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow, crying cockles and mussels alive a-live alive a-live O! Also known as “The Dolly with the Trolley”, “The Flirt in the Skirt” or “The Tart with the Cart”.
The statue of Anna Livia, who appears in James Joyce’s novel Finnegan’s Wake and which Dubliners use to call “The Floozy in the Jacuzzi”
Me and James Joyce, the most famous writer, in the middle of the night somewhere in Dublin, actually at Earl Street North, just turn right from the Spire. Also known as The Prick with a Stick.
Oscar Wilde, very imposing statue, it shows so well the importance of enjoying yourself. And how is he called? My favourite page says that The Queer with the Leer or The Fag on the Crag 🙂 Knowing now the sense of humour of the Dubliners I am not a bit surprised at all. It doesn’t show that they don’t love him, oh, they do 🙂
On the corner of the park, there’s a statue to commemorate the Irish Famine. These pillars surround a statue of the 18th-century father of Irish republican, Theodore Wolfe Tone and although it represents one of the darkest periods of Irish history the Dubliners have given it a relevant nickname and call it the Tone-Henge, like Stonehenge – look at the shape of the pillars:)
The Chariot of Life – Abbey Street, known locally as “The Mad Milkman”
We went to see the Magic Flute by Mozart and it was great. Even the weather didn’t matter and when it started to rain the whole audience took out their umbrellas and continued. Of course, the poor singers got a bit wet, but mostly we were lucky with the weather.
Dublin Accent 