The Marian Tour

Come meet Our Ladies of the Liberties on this walking tour with photographer 1EuroFiddy and Republic of Shame author Caelainn Hogan, who collaborated together on The Marian Year zine, first launched in Dublin 8’s own Pallas Studios.

From a burnt virgin to a holy bomb shelter, hear the stories behind the Marian grottos that punctuate shared spaces in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Dublin’s inner city. While gentrification threatens tight knit communities, the Marys that were built amongst public housing are now overshadowed by aparthotels and cranes building for private interests.

This tour brings some insight into the significance of these shrines in public spaces and the transformed Ireland where they stand today, where landslide changes have been achieved but inequality has in many ways deepened, where the injustices of religious institutions have been brought to light but where there is still little justice for survivors. During a reclamation and a revolutionising of Mary and of female spirituality, these grottos highlight an ongoing dedication to community spaces of worship, reshaping how we see and understand ourselves.

We will start on Meath Street and explore the Liberties, stopping at a brand new Marian shrine and a Mary statue that was rehoused through donations in 1993, the same year homosexuality was finally decriminalised. There will also be the option to carry on to Goldenbridge, the former industrial school where survivors like Christine Buckley, who broke silence about abuse, were incarcerated.

Duration: The walk will take around 1 hour with an optional extra stop at the end.

Meeting Point: Meet at St Catherine’s Church, Meath Street, where we will start with the Burnt Mary

Bios:

Clodagh is a self-taught photographer working under the name 1eurofiddy. Her work mostly consists of film photography, capturing the changing face of Ireland with a focus on groups which practice fading traditions, drawing inspiration from both old and new with a blend of social realism and iconography. Since beginning her photography journey, Clodagh has gained two Agility Awards from the Irish Arts Council to help her develop her practice. With both awards Clodagh managed to bring two projects to print, producing two zines, and two exhibitions. The projects were ‘The Marian Year’ 2022, held at the Pallas Projects Studio, and ‘Who Fears to Speak’ 2024, held at Liberty Ink and Eden Arts Centre. Clodagh has also been selected by The Library Project, Templebar, to have two of her projects published as part of their 2025 ‘Editions’ series.