In the middle of the boulevard that leads to the main gate for Trinity College, this monument sits on a large island separating the traffic. Thomas Davis (1814-1845) was the chief organizer of the Young Ireland movement.
He was a Protestant who resented the tradiditonal Irish nationalism under Catholic interests, but he developed an ideal of uniting ALL creeds and classes in a national movement. His poetry, including "A National Once Again" and "The Battle of Fontenoy" were much used by the Sinn Féin movement.
OH, BAD the march, the weary march, beneath these alien skies,
But good the night, the friendly night, that soothes our tired eyes.
And bad the war, the tedious war, that keeps us sweltering here,
But good the hour, the friendly hour, that brings the battle near.
That brings us on the battle, that summons to their share
The homeless troops, the banished men, the exiled sons of Clare. read more