College Green

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

College Green (Faiche an Choláiste in Irish), previously called Hoggen Green, is a three sided 'square' in the centre of Dublin. On its northern side is a building known today as the Bank of Ireland, but which until 1800 was Ireland's Parliament House. To its east, stands Trinity College Dublin, the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. To its south stands a series of nineteenth century banks. A major street, called Dame Street, enters the square from the west.

College Green has been used as an assembly point for major political rallies. In the mid 1990s, United States President Bill Clinton addressed a mass crowd, during his Irish visit.

Three major public monuments stand in College Green. A nineteenth century statue of Henry Grattan, one of the leading members of the old Irish Parliament, stands facing Trinity College (though the statue is badly obscured by poorly placed trees). Further back stands what is generally perceived as a poor statue of patriot Thomas Davis; because of the deformed body shown and out of scale hands, the statue has occasionally been nicknamed 'Frankenstein'. Previously, that was the location of one of Dublin's finest equestrian statues, of King Billy' (William of Orange) on Horseback. It was blown up by Irish republicans in the 1930s.

Freemen of the City of Dublin have the right to graze livestock on common ground, which includes College Green.

[edit] See also

• Irish statues and their nicknames