Reputedly born in a cottage on the Summerhill Road, Arthur Wellesley – the first Duke of Wellington – was not very proud of his local roots.  Nevertheless, in 1790 he lodged in the buildings behind Kielys public house to qualify for election as local MP.

27 years later after his triumph at Waterloo, the local community was keen to mark their connection with the Iron Duke. At the top of Emmet Street, a 75 feet high Corinthian column was designed by local architect James Bell and erected in 1817.  In Dublin at the same time, a far larger monument ran out of money as Wellington’s popularity waned.  Unlike Trim’s monument, the Dublin version wasn’t completed until 1861.