FROM THE ARCHIVES:The then 70-year-old governor-general, Tim Healy – former barrister, Nationalist MP and anti-Parnellite noted for his acerbic style – was in top form when he addressed the annual general meeting of the Royal Irish Automobile Club in Dublin.
ONE OF the things that struck him at that meeting was that it was not a meeting of “dismal Jimmies.” [...] “There is one feature,” continued Mr. Healy, “connected with the road user which, I am glad to say, is settled – namely, that the roads are for the living, and not for the dead, and the system of sticking statues in the middle of thoroughfares (laughter) when they could be just as easily put alongside the road. At the same time, I would be very slow to remove any existing statue (hear, hear) or any existing monument. There is not a monument in Sackville [O’Connell] street, except the Nelson pillar, that I did not see myself put up. I was associated with the organising of the Smith-O’Brien Statue in 1870 or 1871, and it is a great obstruction at the present . . . I once thought it was a terrible thing when the gentleman whom we entrusted with our money for the proposed Wolfe Tone memorial at the head of Grafton street, ran away to America with our subscriptions. (Laughter). I had given my humble £10 into his trust and now I bless God for the embezzlement (renewed laughter) for had that great street being [sic] blocked by an enormous statue, such as we had subscribed for, the whole of Grafton street would have been inconvenienced.
“I remember,” the Governor-General proceeded, “that Messrs. Findlater brought a bill into Parliament to remove Nelson’s Pillar in 1890. An extraordinary thing took place: That bill came on on the Monday after the Parnell split of December 1890. There was a Conservative Government in power and they passed the removal of Nelson’s statue. We went to a division, and, strange to say, we beat the Government (laughter) and the House of Commons declared in favour of the removal of Nelson’s statue. That is thirty-six years ago, but Nelson is still there (hear, hear and laughter) and really, as to these old landmarks, which we associate with our time, one would hope that when my successor is speaking here in a quarter of a century hence, and when I have been most gracefully removed to Glasnevin Nelson’s statue would be there still. (Laughter.) “What I respectfully submit is that there ought not to be any more of it. I think we have done enough for posterity, and that futurity should not be allowed to block the roads any more. If I might recall an incident: The late Charles Parnell came into the Division Lobby, knowing nothing in the least of what had happened, or of what was before the House. He had been deposed from the leadership two days before, and Mr. Justin McCarthy had become our leader. Finding out that we had beaten the Government, Parnell approached his successor with this remark: ‘Justin, allow me to congratulate you on the first great victory of your new party.’ (Laugher.).”