Give That Man A Holiday

As a Burkean conservative who finds "On the Revolution in France" to be the finest political work ever written, I concur with this assessment of the sad lack of an Irish memorial to this great man:

So where are Dublin’s tributes to Burke? There is the statue in front of Trinity, which commands prime real estate on College Green. Otherwise, the commemorations are not impressive. Trinity has named a basement lecture hall in its exceptionally ugly Arts Building after Burke. Water damage stains the walls inside and the upholstery on the seats is fraying. The room is remarkable mainly for its ability to amplify surrounding noises. The janitors’ vacuum cleaners sound like rocket ships blasting off — far more revolutionary a din than Burke would care to hear.

Elsewhere in Dublin, there’s little to be found honoring Burke. Walking west along the River Liffey to the man’s birthplace at 12 Arran Quay, as I did this spring, will bring only disappointment. The house was leveled for a government building that is architecturally less distinguished than a gas station visible across the river. The Burke family home on Ormond Quay was demolished as well.

Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, has called Burke “one of our famous Irish writers.” This ranks prominently in the annals of understatement. Having already established a day for that other famous author, Dublin could do worse than hold a “Burkesday.” He was born on January 12 (in 1729) and he died on July 9 (in 1797). Either date would suffice. And the chief entertainment is obvious: dramatic readings of Reflections on the Revolution in France. Revelers could even burn effigies of Robespierre and Warren Hastings. But whatever they do, Burke deserves his day. Ireland simply needs to say: “yes I said yes I will Yes.”