Where in the World? Monkeying about in Dublin

The famous monkeys on the plinth 

In this post from last  month I posed a question for your next Pub Quiz - along the lines of Where in Dublin will you find monkeys playing snooker? (or billiards if you prefer or are pedantic!) 

I can now reveal all - thanks to hubby Jan who took this photo on the day I was hanging out in Powerscourt Town Centre and he was in a business meeting in the Alliance Francaise next door to the monkeys. 

It's in 2-3 Kildare Street on the plinth of a column on the National Library of Ireland Manuscripts Office. I did a bit of research (ok, I Googled it) and found out this little pair of monkeys are featured in a few blogs like this one  and this one. 

Here's the Wikipedia entry on the NLI - no mention of monkeys. I think it emanated from the building's glory days as a Gentleman's Club!

However, the information on the NLI website is the most enlightening and I quote from it here: 

"This building was originally a gentleman's club (the Kildare Street Club) and it is remarkable for the carvings on the base of the capitals on its facade.  The most unusual carving is three monkeys playing billiards".

It's all rather intriguing and I hope you get to see them whenever you visit Dublin - right next to the Alliance Francaise which is on the corner of Nassau St. and Kildare St. right beside the Trinity College railings around the campus and the sportfields. It's a lovely area to browse around when you've had your fill of shopping in Grafton St. and environs. If you feel so moved you can always wander up Kildare Street to visit Leinster House, home of our D áil or National Parliament, and see the famous plinth where many a politician has come a cropper - monkey business by another name!