 Wellington Monument (Wellington Testimonial) in Dublin's Phoenix Park | |
 Interactive map of Wellington Monument | |
| Location | Phoenix Park,Dublin, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°20′56″N6°18′11″W / 53.3490°N 6.3031°W /53.3490; -6.3031 |
| Designer | Robert Smirke |
| Type | Obelisk |
| Material | Granite[1] |
| Height | 62 metres (203 ft)[1] |
| Beginning date | 1817 |
| Opening date | 1861 |
| Dedicated to | Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington |
TheWellington Monument (Irish:Leacht Wellington),[2] or sometimes theWellington Testimonial,[a] is anobelisk located in thePhoenix Park,Dublin, Ireland.
The testimonial is situated at the southeast end of the Park, overlookingKilmainham and theRiver Liffey. The structure is 62 metres (203 ft) tall, making it the largest obelisk in Europe.[3]
The Wellington Testimonial was built to commemorate the victories ofField MarshalArthur 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 inMerrion Square, it was built in the Phoenix Park after opposition from the square's residents.[4]
The obelisk was designed by the architectSir 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.[5]: 18:40 A shortage of funds eventually delayed the production of the intended statue, leaving the pedestal looking unfinished[5]: 18:50 for some decades[6] 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 atUCD.[5]: 18:21 Only the bronzes were installed at the base of the obelisk in the end, and the pedestal was removed.[5]: 19:00 On 18 June 1861 it was opened to the public.
There are four bronze plaques cast from cannons captured atWaterloo – three of which have pictorial representations of his career while the fourth has an inscription.[1] The plaques depict 'Civil and Religious Liberty' by John Hogan, 'Waterloo' byThomas Farrell and the 'Indian Wars' byJoseph Robinson Kirk. The inscription reads:
The monument is referenced throughoutJames Joyce'sFinnegans Wake. 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 thepark (p. 3)"; John Bishop extends the analogy, interpreting this centrally located obelisk as the prone giant's male member.[7] A few pages later, the monument is the site of the fictional "Willingdone Museyroom" (p. 8).[8]
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