Irish Examiner view: Honours reflect our real values and hopes

Celebrating universally admired figures and their shared values is one way of strengthening social unity. The naming of one of Cork City’s newest bridges in honour of humanitarian Mary Elmes is a recent example. Picture: Larry Cummins

Whether the aesthetic of Dublin’s O’Connell St was improved by replacing Nelson’s 1809 Pillar with the 2003 Spire is an open question. The symbolism, however, is emphatic.

Nevertheless, the 1966 destruction of the monument celebrating a pin-up of British imperialism carried a layer of bittersweet irony.