Patrick Kavanagh is famously tied with Baggot Street and it's environs and this rather modest granite bench is the original monument erected in his honour in the locality.
It was erected here on St. Patrick's Day, one year after Kavanagh's death, by a group of his close friends and was inspired by his poetry and, allegedly, his heavy hinting on the matter. Most will confuse the inconspicuous original 'seat' for the 'bench' with the life size bronze of Kavanagh sitting on it, which was put in place in 1991.
Shamefully, the seat is in a state of relative disrepair these days, with the granite cracked, the wood damaged and split, and even the engraving is worn almost away. Despite this the seat is still a touching monument that speaks to the history of the area and to the memory of Kavanagh. read more