Father Pat Noise facts for kids

Plaque in memory of Father Pat Noise

Father Pat Noise is a made-up (fictitious) Catholic priest. He is described on a fake (hoax) commemorative plaque. This plaque was put up by two brothers on O'Connell Bridge in Dublin, Ireland.

The full message on the plaque says:

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 Story Behind the Plaque

Two brothers secretly put the plaque up in 2004. They admitted it in May 2006. This happened after a journalist from the Sunday Tribune newspaper told the Dublin City Council about it.

Why Was It Made?

The brothers said they made the plaque to honor their own father. They explained that the name 'Father Pat Noise' is a clever play on words. It sounds like pater noster, which is Latin for "our father." The letters 'HSTI' on the plaque are also made up.

Real People and Events

The plaque mentions a person named Peadar Clancey. His name is spelled a little differently on the plaque. However, Peadar Clancy was a real officer in the Irish Republican Army. He died on the evening of Bloody Sunday in 1920.

The Plaque's Location and Fate

The plaque was placed in a spot where something else used to be. This spot was left empty after a control box was removed. The control box was for the "Millennium Countdown" clock. This clock was put in the River Liffey in March 1996. It was counting down to the year 2000.

The Millennium Clock

The Millennium Clock and its control box were taken out in December 1996. This was because they often had technical problems. Also, it was hard to see the clock.

Council's Reaction

When the story about the Father Pat Noise plaque became known, Dublin City Council said it would be removed. This was because it was put there without permission. However, some people left flowers and funny messages near the plaque.

In December 2006, a Council committee decided to let the plaque stay. But the first Father Pat Noise plaque was removed in March 2007. This happened during repair work on O'Connell Bridge.

A New Plaque Appears

Some time later, a second plaque was secretly put up. On May 22, 2007, engineers from Dublin City Council planned to remove this new plaque. But City Councillor Dermot Lacey stopped them. He insisted that the Council's earlier decision to let it stay should be followed.

In Popular Culture

Eoin Dillon's music album from 2011, called The Golden Mean, includes a song. The song is titled "Lament for Fr. Pat Noise."

Images for kids

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  Plaque purportedly in memory of Father Pat Noise

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  The plaque is on the top of the balustrade on the west side of O'Connell Bridge