Located in the GPO, this statue commemorates one of Ireland's greatest legendary heroes, Cúchulainn. Originally named Setanta, he was a warlike child who couldn't wait to get stuck into real battles. He received his nickname when he fecked a sliotar at the hound (or cú) owned by a local blacksmith named Cullan. He then beat it to death on a fence post. In these times, there was no recourse to the small claims court, so Setanta had to take the place of the dead guard dog.
Other notable achievements include single-handedly defending Ulster from an attack from a cattle raid instigated by Queen Medb of Connaught and accidentally killing his own son.
This statue shows Cúchulainn in his death throes. After being mortally wounded in a bit of a sneaky attack, he reputedly tied himself to rock in order to die on his feet. That's real soldiering for you, you didn't get army deafness claims back then... read more