Dublin: a colonial and revolutionary city

The most interesting thing about Dublin is the way it manages to interweave its colonial and revolutionary past. Many of the more obvious symbols of British colonial rule have been removed, or blown up. Place names have been changed from say Queenstown or Kingstown to more Irish sounding ones. Even the old British post boxes have been painted green. All of this is completely understandable in a young nation seeking to assert a new and distinct identity. With all this in mind I was surprised - whilst walking in Phoenix Park yesterday - to come across an astonishing symbol of the old regime. It was a truly huge memorial to the biggest imperialist of them all, the Duke of Wellington. It is an impressive memorial to his military triumphs, but I am surprised it is still the major focal point in Phoenix Park.