Sir, - In Peter Pearson's superb book Between the Mountains and the Sea, I notice that there is no reference to the monument of Christ the King in Dun Laoghaire.
The book shows a photograph of the granite obelisk to King George IV on its four balls. About 100 metres from this is the 5.5metre-high bronze sculpture of Christ the King by Andrew O'Connor (1874-1941), an American of Irish descent. It was first exhibited in the 1926 Paris Salon, chosen in 1932 as the Christ the King monument for Dun Laoghaire, cast by Rudier in the 1930s, hidden during the war as 3.5 tonnes of valuable metal, brought to Dun Laoghaire in 1949 and unveiled in December 1978 with a formal ecumenical ceremony.
In June 1995, 17 years later, the Parks Department's inspiring scheme was opened, and the sculpture can at last be seen to its best advantage.
Peter Pearson's beautifully detailed book is already in its second edition. I hope that some reference will be made in the future to the Christ the King monument. - Yours, etc., Daithi Hanly,
Architect/Town Planning Consultant, Vico Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin.