William of Orange

The equestrian statue of William III, William of Orange, modelled by Grinling Gibbons, was the most prominently located of all the three equestrian statues of Dublin at what would become an important junction in the city, College Green. This was to be the most controversial monument in the country, serving as a focal point for propagandist displays, particularly on the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, when it was painted and garlanded with orange lilies. The statue was erected in 1701 at the expense of Dublin Corporation. Up until the day it was finally taken away in the aftermath of an explosion in Armistice Day, 1928, it was the victim of many attacks, having been tarred and greased, daubed with paint and covered in mud, during the years of its long sojorn at College Green.