Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Ireland Dublin The Proclamation Sculpture

The Proclamation Sculpture

A particularly disconcerting tribute to Irish martyrs.

Dublin, Ireland

Added By
Shannon O'Haire
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Full view of the Proclamation sculpture   Wiki User: Nol Aders
The base of one of the Proclamation sculptures   Shannon Ohaire / Atlas Obscura User
Blindfolded figure with the Prison in the background   Shannon Ohaire / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The Proclamation Sculpture   Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It has been argued that no one remembers like the Irish, and this startlingly morbid memorial sculpture located across the street from one of Ireland's most infamous prisons definitely lends to that claim.

"Proclamation" by Rowan Gillespie is a permanent outdoor sculpture honoring the leaders of the Easter Rising, and the authors of the Irish proclamation of Independence.  It stands solemnly across the street from the notorious Kilmainham Gaol where the proclamation scribes were executed in 1916.

It features abstract and faceless bronze statues standing in a circle around a pillar, the words of their proclamation engraved into the metal. These eerily blindfolded statues each have an execution order or a verdict carved into their base, and their torsos are riddled with holes to represent where they were hit by the firing squad. Each torso has a different bullet pattern, which is one of the only varying characteristics of the figures.

Rowan Gillespie is known for his startling sculptures. Another of his most famous works in Dublin is the equally disturbing and widely photographed Famine Memorial. He is greatly inspired by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch and that influence can be seen in many of his pieces, though perhaps it is most apparent in the abstract and almost alien nature of Proclamation.

These statues have no names, faces or limbs. They are meant to represent the rebel leaders who were the seven signatories on the Proclamation. There are fourteen figures in total and the other seven were donated to the piece by the artist himself in honor of the total number of executions involving the rising and in memory of his grandfather James Creed Meredith.

The disturbing figures stand in front of the courthouse where Meredith presided as a judge for many years. In a coincidental irony, it is nearly impossible to photograph this sculpture without either the courthouse or the jail where the executions took place in the background.

Related Tags

Public Sculptures Statue Memorials Statues

Community Contributors

Added By

Shannon Ohaire

Edited By

Rachel, SEANETTA, Collector of Experiences, AdventureBro

  • Rachel
  • SEANETTA
  • Collector of Experiences
  • AdventureBro

Published

May 12, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Proclamation Sculpture
Inchicore Road
Dublin
Ireland
53.341734, -6.308518
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kilmainham Gaol

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Murdering Lane and Cutthroat Lane

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Magazine Fort

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dublin

Dublin

Ireland

Places 47
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Kilmainham Gaol

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Murdering Lane and Cutthroat Lane

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Magazine Fort

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dublin

Dublin

Ireland

Places 47
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Parma, Italy

    Enzo Sicuri Statue

    A sculpture in memory of a homeless man much loved by the city of Parma.

  • Bum.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    ‘A Canine Connection’

    This sculpture commemorates Edinburgh's sister city and their respective celebrity dogs.

  • Education and Youth

    Plymouth, Massachusetts

    National Monument to the Forefathers

    Plymouth's huge yet little-known memorial to the Pilgrims.

  • The Lemmings statue in Dundee.

    Dundee, Scotland

    Lemmings Statue

    A bronze tribute to the wildly popular video game from the '90s.

  • North to Freedom.

    Brewer, Maine

    Chamberlain Freedom Park

    Maine’s only official memorial to the Underground Railroad.

  • Washington, D.C.

    Churchill and Mandela Call and Response

    When it comes to handsignals (and colonialism) rock always beats scissors.

  • Monument to the Unknown Artist

    London, England

    Monument to the Unknown Artist

    The London statue that imitates passersby.

  • New York, New York

    The Double Check Businessman

    This anonymous businessman sculpted in bronze became an enduring memorial after 9/11, and had been mistaken by rescue workers for a survivor in the rubble.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.