Father Pat Noise

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Father Pat Noise is a fictitious Roman Catholic priest, described on a hoax commemorative plaque installed by two brothers on O'Connell Bridge in Dublin. The full text of the plaque reads:

“

THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES FR. PAT NOISE ADVISOR TO PEADAR CLANCEY. HE DIED UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN HIS CARRIAGE PLUNGED INTO THE LIFFEY ON AUGUST 10TH 1919. ERECTED BY THE HSTI

”

The hoaxers installed it in 2004, and owned up in May 2006 after it was brought to the attention of Dublin City Council by a journalist for the Sunday Tribune. They claimed the work was a tribute to their father, and that the name 'Father Pat Noise' is a play on pater noster, Latin for "our father". The 'HSTI' is also fictitious. Peadar Clancey was a genuine Irish Republican Army officer killed on the evening of Bloody Sunday, 1920 ^[1]

The plaque was laid in a depression left by the removal the control box for the "Millennium Countdown" clock installed in the waters of the Liffey in March 1996 as a countdown to the Year 2000. The clock and control box were removed in December 1996 after persistent technical and visibility problems.^[2] Dublin City Council stated when the story broke that the Pat Noise plaque would be removed, as it was unauthorised. Several ironic tributes of flowers and messages were left by the plaque.^[3] A meeting of the South East Area Committee of the Council in December 2006 supported leaving it in place.^[4] As of 1 April 2007, it was still in place.

[edit] References

1. ^ In Memory of Father Noise. Museum of Hoaxes (May 9 2006). Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
2. ^ Egan, Rory. "The Millennium Clock", Sunday Independent, April 2 2006. Retrieved on March 24, 2007.
3. ^ photograph of tributes from Archiseek Forum thread
4. ^ Minutes of South East Area committee meeting held on 11th December 2006 (Microsoft Word). Dublin City Council. Retrieved on March 24, 2007. “Motion from Councillor Dermot Lacey: This Committee agrees to discuss and supports the case for leaving the “Fr Noise” Plaque in situ on O’Connell Bridge. Order: Leave plaque in place or provide further report to Committee.” (the December meeting's minutes are attached to the agenda for the January 2007 meeting)

[edit] External links

• An overlooked Noise -- discussion from Lightbox: "A blog about poetry and other stuff by Mark Granier"