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What do you think of the ?50K appeal to erect a statue of connolly in edinburgh.... hero or villain ?

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I don't see any harm in them asking. I doubt they will succeed!

 

We do live in a democracy after all...

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Can someone tell me WHAT he has to do with Edinburgh, or even Scotland?

 

I could understand a statue in Dublin or even Belfast.....but here?

I can see no point other than the wannabe Oirish Hibees wanting it put up.

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The White Cockade
Can someone tell me WHAT he has to do with Edinburgh, or even Scotland?

 

I could understand a statue in Dublin or even Belfast.....but here?

I can see no point other than the wannabe Oirish Hibees wanting it put up.

 

He was Scottish and born in Edinburgh............

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Can someone tell me WHAT he has to do with Edinburgh, or even Scotland?

 

I could understand a statue in Dublin or even Belfast.....but here?

I can see no point other than the wannabe Oirish Hibees wanting it put up.

 

Apart from the fact that he was born and brought up in The Grassmarket?

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scots civil war
Can someone tell me WHAT he has to do with Edinburgh, or even Scotland?

 

I could understand a statue in Dublin or even Belfast.....but here?

I can see no point other than the wannabe Oirish Hibees wanting it put up.

 

 

 

erm,he was born in the canongate chief....home of the irish contingent in the victorian times and early 20th

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Connolly group launches ?50,000 appeal for statue

 

 

 

Published Date: 05 June 2009

By Andrew Picken

A CONTROVERSIAL bid has been launched to commemorate the Edinburgh-born Irish revolutionary James Connolly with a statue in the city centre.

Members of the Connolly Foundation have used today – the 141st anniversary of Connolly's birth – to launch a ?50,000 appeal to build a lasting memorial to one of the leading figures in the struggle against British rule in Ireland.

 

Tom White, an American sculptor, has agreed to create a life size statue of James Connolly after completing one in Chicago last year.

 

Sites under consideration include the Meadows, where Connolly gave some of his most famous speeches, the West Port, where he lived, and the Cowgate, his birthplace and home to the majority of Edinburgh's Irish immigrant community until the mid-20th century.

 

Such a move, however, is likely to prove highly controversial as while he is regarded as a hero in Ireland, he remains a divisive figure in the country of his birth for leading the rebellion at a time when thousands were dying during the First World War. The marches held in his memory in Edinburgh have often become flashpoints for sectarian violence.

 

Any bid for a statue would require both planning permission and council approval if it was erected on a city street or pavement. It is hoped the ?50,000 can be raised from both public and private donations.

 

City leaders today said they would consider the scheme once they had been given full details.

 

A plaque commemorating Connolly already exists in the Cowgate but campaigners today said a full size statue was long overdue.

 

Jim Slaven, chairman of The Connolly Foundation, said: "Erecting a statue to James Connolly in the city of his birth is a fantastic opportunity, not only to honour James Connolly but also to acknowledge the contribution of the broader Irish community and other immigrant communities to the development of the city.

 

"Edinburgh has statues, mostly to individuals, such as royalty, who are totally irrelevant to the majority people of Edinburgh.

 

"What Edinburgh does not have is monuments to immigrants or the working class. A statue to James Connolly in the city of his birth is long overdue.

 

"Finance is clearly an issue but we could get all the money in place tomorrow and still face problems, so it is important for us to engage with the council and the local community to get something in place that everyone can be happy with."

 

Mr Slaven caused controversy in 2007 when he suggested renaming part of the Cowgate "Little Ireland" in Connolly's memory, as well as renaming one of the paths in the Meadows after him.

 

A council spokeswoman said any application for new plaques or monuments require the "appropriate planning consents".

 

City Tory leader Iain Whyte warned: "We have to be very careful in the city with our statues because one person's hero is another person's villain."

 

LIFE IN CONFLICT

JAMES CONNOLLY was born on 5 June, 1868, at 107 Cowgate to John and Mary Connolly, a poor Irish couple.

 

By the time he began his first job in a bakery at 12 he was aware of the political unrest in Ireland, which had a profound influence on him.

 

At 14 he had to "take the shilling or starve" and from 1882 to 1889 was stationed with the King's Liverpool Regiment in Ireland.

 

Connolly entered politics upon his return to Edinburgh, becoming an activist in the Scottish Socialist Federation.

 

He stood for Edinburgh Council in 1894 and 1895 but lost both times, then emigrated to Ireland in 1896, where he set up the Irish Republican Socialist Party.

 

From 1914 he looked at ways to disrupt the British war machine and his zeal saw him become a Sinn Fein member.

 

He was in command of the GPO in Dublin at the Easter Rising of 1916. When the Irish Citizen Army surrendered, Connolly, gravely injured, was captured by the British. He was executed on 12 May.

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If the Connoly Society stick ?50,000 together without one of them stealing it then good luck to them with their statue.

 

Personally I'd rather contribute to one of Edinburgh born Ronnie Corbett.

 

It'd be cheaper as well as there would be less material needed

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Will that muppet Slaven ever stop, most people in this city couldn't give a toss about this rebellious traitorous dog. Most of the folk on their parade were brought in from the west to swell their numbers.

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oilrig jambo

(was

What do you think of the ?50K appeal to erect a statue of connolly in edinburgh.... hero or villain ?

 

I sincerely hope it never happens Connolly was a traitor who quite rightly was executed along with the rest of that dirty rebel band in 1916 if it ever gets erected it won't last long

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davemclaren
(was

 

I sincerely hope it never happens Connolly was a traitor who quite rightly was executed along with the rest of that dirty rebel band in 1916 if it ever gets erected it won't last long

 

Traiterous to who? Did the Irish not have a right to independence? Lucky George Washington wasn't born in Edinburgh.

 

You need to get past your outdated imperial values. :smiley2:

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Romanov Stole My Pension

I know very little about James Connolly. Does anyone want to give me a really brief (but unbiased if possible) description of him. I know he was born in Edinburgh and was some sort of Irish politician, but why was he executed?

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Say What Again
erm,he was born in the canongate chief....home of the irish contingent in the victorian times and early 20th

 

As a Canagotian, myself I can confirm that.

 

There's a plaque on the wall just down from the Canon's Gait (used to be the Blue Blanket, next to Chessels Court) indicating where he was born.

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Geoff Kilpatrick

If the British had treated the Easter Rising as a criminal act, Connolly would be a footnote in history.

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Ray Winstone
If the British had treated the Easter Rising as a criminal act, Connolly would be a footnote in history.

 

True.

 

The British Army turned the rebel leaders into marters for the cause and thus their names were to go down in history.

 

They should never have been executed without trial it merely pushed public opinion further in favour of the rebels.

 

FWIW I couldn't care less if their is a statue of Connolly erected.

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I'm not entirely sure what it is that warrants a statue of Connolly being installed in Scotland. Whatever debate one might have about the merits of his political and historical contribution in other places, I'd have thought he was a very minor figure indeed in Scottish terms.

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Build it next to John Knox's House.

 

Invite Celtic through for the official opening which will be marked by a 2 mins round of applause in memory of his death.

 

That should sort out the ?40k at a stroke.

 

When the Hobos eventually win the cup they can start their bus parade from a meaningful landmark.

 

Farking pathetic. Nothing against the Irish struggle for independence. But a statue in Edinburgh ? If the Plastic Paddies want a statue let THEM pay for it if it means that much - which it clearly doesn't else they'd have done it by now.

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Traiterous to who? Did the Irish not have a right to independence? Lucky George Washington wasn't born in Edinburgh.

 

You need to get past your outdated imperial values. :smiley2:

 

George Washington was born and raised in the US. James Connelly was not born and raised in Ireland, he adopted their cause against his homeland.

 

I have no comment on whether his cause was just, but that is why he could be called a traitor.

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The man was a traitor.

He got what traitors deserve.

Not someone we should feel proud to honour. :rifle:SIZE]

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Will that muppet Slaven ever stop, most people in this city couldn't give a toss about this rebellious traitorous dog. Most of the folk on their parade were brought in from the west to swell their numbers.

 

As were most of the counter demonstrators.

 

For what it is worth I think erecting his statue would be divisive.

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Italian Lambretta

If they want to do something good why not donate 50k to the thousands of victims who were abused and tortured in the convents and catholic children homes in the Irish Republic.

 

I wonder if connolly and his cronies ever said a word to stop this disgusting betrayal of innocents in his homeland?

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Will that muppet Slaven ever stop, most people in this city couldn't give a toss about this rebellious traitorous dog. Most of the folk on their parade were brought in from the west to swell their numbers.

 

Looks as though the city couldn't give a toss about him when he was alive and here either. Let them build a statue in Dublin if they want to build one.

 

"He stood for Edinburgh Council in 1894 and 1895 but lost both times, then emigrated to Ireland in 1896, where he set up the Irish Republican Socialist Party."

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Hans von Luck
He was Scottish and born in Edinburgh............

 

Yes and plotted to kill British soldiers, nothing more than a terrorist no better than Alkaida.

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I know very little about James Connolly. Does anyone want to give me a really brief (but unbiased if possible) description of him. I know he was born in Edinburgh and was some sort of Irish politician, but why was he executed?

 

You're in good company !

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gillie chris
If they want to do something good why not donate 50k to the thousands of victims who were abused and tortured in the convents and catholic children homes in the Irish Republic.

 

That never happened :46::hat2: according to the church

 

I hope the council dont give permission to this traitor

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portobellojambo1
I'm not entirely sure what it is that warrants a statue of Connolly being installed in Scotland. Whatever debate one might have about the merits of his political and historical contribution in other places, I'd have thought he was a very minor figure indeed in Scottish terms.

 

Possibly the understatement of the year Uly. In terms of Edinburgh he was a nothing, a nobody.

 

There may well be some melancholic attachment to Irish Republicans and republicanism, through his activities within what is now the Republic of Ireland. If the people there wish to erect a statue to his memory in Dublin then fine. let them get on with it. But he did nothing of note here to even warrant mention of a statue in his memory.

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Drew Busby !

To answer the original post ... villain or hero.

 

Has to be "hero". Edinburgh born, fought for a just cause in Ireland and died for it.

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This really rips my knitting! If folk want to honour anyone for a cause, do it where it matters, he did feck all for edinburgh except betray the heros of the first world war. If Slavin is so much in love with Ireland - he should go and build his fecking statue over there!

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As were most of the counter demonstrators.

 

For what it is worth I think erecting his statue would be divisive.

 

Recall, loads of Hearts casuals, Edinburgh based Rangers lads and loads of east coast loyalists being there at the time. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

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Geoff Kilpatrick
Possibly the understatement of the year Uly. In terms of Edinburgh he was a nothing, a nobody.

 

There may well be some melancholic attachment to Irish Republicans and republicanism, through his activities within what is now the Republic of Ireland. If the people there wish to erect a statue to his memory in Dublin then fine. let them get on with it. But he did nothing of note here to even warrant mention of a statue in his memory.

 

He's already had a train station named after him in Dublin.

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Drew Busby !

No question that a statue would be contentious. Scotlands sectarian problems go back over centuries, so things are always viewed through that lens. I wish it was otherwise but thats the way it is.

 

To say he's a nobody in Edinburgh terms is incorrect though. He was an active trade unionist and labour activist, when both these organisations were in their absolute infancy.

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winston churchill

they should build it outside the tattie bowl.

 

they are made for each other.

 

i better not say what i really think as i'll get my collar felt again.

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Connolly group launches ?50,000 appeal for statue

 

 

 

Published Date: 05 June 2009

By Andrew Picken

A CONTROVERSIAL bid has been launched to commemorate the Edinburgh-born Irish revolutionary James Connolly with a statue in the city centre.

Members of the Connolly Foundation have used today – the 141st anniversary of Connolly's birth – to launch a ?50,000 appeal to build a lasting memorial to one of the leading figures in the struggle against British rule in Ireland.

 

Tom White, an American sculptor, has agreed to create a life size statue of James Connolly after completing one in Chicago last year.

 

Sites under consideration include the Meadows, where Connolly gave some of his most famous speeches, the West Port, where he lived, and the Cowgate, his birthplace and home to the majority of Edinburgh's Irish immigrant community until the mid-20th century.

 

Such a move, however, is likely to prove highly controversial as while he is regarded as a hero in Ireland, he remains a divisive figure in the country of his birth for leading the rebellion at a time when thousands were dying during the First World War. The marches held in his memory in Edinburgh have often become flashpoints for sectarian violence.

 

Any bid for a statue would require both planning permission and council approval if it was erected on a city street or pavement. It is hoped the ?50,000 can be raised from both public and private donations.

 

City leaders today said they would consider the scheme once they had been given full details.

 

A plaque commemorating Connolly already exists in the Cowgate but campaigners today said a full size statue was long overdue.

 

Jim Slaven, chairman of The Connolly Foundation, said: "Erecting a statue to James Connolly in the city of his birth is a fantastic opportunity, not only to honour James Connolly but also to acknowledge the contribution of the broader Irish community and other immigrant communities to the development of the city.

 

"Edinburgh has statues, mostly to individuals, such as royalty, who are totally irrelevant to the majority people of Edinburgh.

 

"What Edinburgh does not have is monuments to immigrants or the working class. A statue to James Connolly in the city of his birth is long overdue.

 

"Finance is clearly an issue but we could get all the money in place tomorrow and still face problems, so it is important for us to engage with the council and the local community to get something in place that everyone can be happy with."

 

Mr Slaven caused controversy in 2007 when he suggested renaming part of the Cowgate "Little Ireland" in Connolly's memory, as well as renaming one of the paths in the Meadows after him.

 

A council spokeswoman said any application for new plaques or monuments require the "appropriate planning consents".

 

City Tory leader Iain Whyte warned: "We have to be very careful in the city with our statues because one person's hero is another person's villain."

 

LIFE IN CONFLICT

JAMES CONNOLLY was born on 5 June, 1868, at 107 Cowgate to John and Mary Connolly, a poor Irish couple.

 

By the time he began his first job in a bakery at 12 he was aware of the political unrest in Ireland, which had a profound influence on him.

 

At 14 he had to "take the shilling or starve" and from 1882 to 1889 was stationed with the King's Liverpool Regiment in Ireland.

 

Connolly entered politics upon his return to Edinburgh, becoming an activist in the Scottish Socialist Federation.

 

He stood for Edinburgh Council in 1894 and 1895 but lost both times, then emigrated to Ireland in 1896, where he set up the Irish Republican Socialist Party.

 

From 1914 he looked at ways to disrupt the British war machine and his zeal saw him become a Sinn Fein member.

 

He was in command of the GPO in Dublin at the Easter Rising of 1916. When the Irish Citizen Army surrendered, Connolly, gravely injured, was captured by the British. He was executed on 12 May.

 

I beg to differ. IMG_1654.jpg

 

Not to mention the sherlock holmes and greyfriars statues :th_o:

 

I do believe JC name has been dragged into sectarian and bigoted enterprises. Something he was against. Half these people that do the march in his name are there for the wrong reasons. Just like all those in the orange marches. I mean did their father really wear that sash at the battle of the boyne - chances are they probably didn't? Theres more important things to be marching for. Theres more important things to focus your life or waste your time on. Each to their own I guess?

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davemclaren
George Washington was born and raised in the US. James Connelly was not born and raised in Ireland, he adopted their cause against his homeland.

 

I have no comment on whether his cause was just, but that is why he could be called a traitor.

 

That's true Rab. That explains why there is no campaign for a GW statue in Edinburgh that I'm aware off. :smiley2:

 

However, I'm sure the American rebels were seen as traitors to the crown regardless of where they were born and some were clearly born in the UK.

 

Anyway, I won't be contributing to a Connelly statue as he is a minor Edinburgh figure imo and I think it's probably one side of the political/sectarian divide trying to noise up the other.....and probably being very successful going by some of the remarks. Poor old Scotland.

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