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Return to Co. Dublin list |
Go to Prehistoric Alignments & Dials |
Go to Ancient Monastic Dials |
Go to Medieval Dials |
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 Dublin Sundial |
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| The 49 acre Dublin Botanic Gardens (which has two sundials previously reported on, an early 19th c. brass horizontal and a modern wrought iron armillary sphere) were established in 1795 at Glasnevin two miles north of the city centre. Prospect Cemetery opened in 1832 on a 9 acre site adjacent to the Botanic Gardens. Now known as Glasnevin Cemetery it has expanded over the years to more than one hundred and twenty acres. There is a 3ft high vertical sandstone sundial in the original part of the cemetery some 500ms from the original Prospect Gate entrance. The dial projects about 1ft 6ins. above the 12ft high stone boundary wall between the cemetery and the Botanic Gardens. The dial is delineated as an east decliner,- about 5º east from direct south, showing hours from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Roman numerals. The numerals are placed above the hourlines on the verticals and to the right of the hourlines on the horizontal and there is a large ellipse engraved whose purpose seems to be purely decorative. Some flaking of the sandstone surface has occurred. The Latin motto reads : [ English translation ] Dum lucem habetis credite [Whilst you have the light, believe] in lucem ut filii lucis sitis [in the light, that you may be the children of light.] Hæc locutus est Jesus [These things Jesus spoke.] Jn 12:36 [John: Chapter 12: Verse 36] The wrought iron gnomon is broken at its top corner and 'sprung' away from its dial fixing plate. There is no noon gap and the gnomon substyle lies vertically on the west side close to the noon line. The dial is set flush with the wall on the east side and set back from the face of the wall along the west edge by about 3 inches. The use of a projecting granite cill to support the dial makes it difficult to read the hours between X and I from the ground and impossible to see if there is a date or maker's name there. Lat 53° 22' North Long 6° 16' West Irish Grid O 314950 237050 |