Manchester Martyrs' Monument

"The Maid of Erin", as it is more commonly known, the Manchester Martyrs Monument was erected in 1907 to commemorate the deaths of William O'Meara Allen, Michael Larkin and William O'Brien. They had been executed in England for involving themselves in an attempt to rescue a Fenian prisoner, during the course of which a police officer was killed.

The statue was unveiled on 7 March 1907, just five days before the death of the celebrated patriot, John O'Leary. The occasion was turned into a mass demonstration of Fenian sympathy, this at a time when Irish nationalism, ever since the centenary of 1798, was starting to gain in popularity and strength. During the War of Independence the "Black and Tans" Monument made a determined effort to pull down the statue, but they failed in their attempt.

During the 1990s the statue was removed from its Main St. location and replaced at the corner junction of Main St. and the Limerick Road.

Source - Marnane, "Tourist Trail: A signposted Walking Tour of Tipperary Town"