Millennium Clock, Dublin facts for kids

The Millennium Clock was a huge art project in Dublin, Ireland. It was built to celebrate the year 2000, which was a big deal because it was the start of a new millennium (a period of 1,000 years). This special clock was placed underwater in the River Liffey, right next to O'Connell Bridge. It was supposed to count down the seconds until the year 2000 arrived.

This picture shows O'Connell Bridge in Dublin. Look closely on the right side, and you might see a small plaque. It's a funny fake plaque for "Father Pat Noise," placed where part of the clock used to be.

What Was the Millennium Clock?

The Millennium Clock was a very large structure, weighing six tons! It was designed by two artists, Grainne Hassett and Vincent Ducatez. The clock used a digital display, like the numbers you see on a calculator, to show how many seconds were left until the year 2000. It was sponsored by the National Lottery.

Why Was the Clock Removed?

The clock was turned on in March 1996 with a special ceremony. The Minister for Finance, Ruairi Quinn, even helped switch it on, and the event was shown on TV. However, the clock quickly ran into problems. It kept getting covered in mud from the river, making it hard to see. It also had other technical issues.

Because of these problems, the clock was taken out of the river just three days after it was installed to allow for boat races. It was put back, but the issues continued. Finally, in August of the same year, it was removed for good to make way for the annual Liffey Swim event. It was never put back in the river.

How Much Did the Clock Cost?

Building the Millennium Clock was quite expensive. It cost £250,000 to build. On top of that, another £58,000 was spent on fixing it, putting it in the river, and then taking it out.

The Postcard Machine

As part of the Millennium Clock project, there was also a special machine on O'Connell Bridge. This machine would print a postcard showing how many seconds were left until the new millennium. Each postcard cost 20p. This machine was quite popular, selling between 600 and 700 postcards every day for five months. It made about £17,000 in total.

The "Father Pat Noise" Plaque

When the Millennium Clock was removed, it left an empty space on the bridge where its control box had been. Years later, in 2004, some people played a prank. They put up a fake plaque in that empty space. This plaque pretended to be a memorial for a person called "Father Pat Noise", who was completely made up! It's a funny story that many people in Dublin know.

This is the fake "Father Pat Noise" plaque. It was placed where the postcard machine for the Millennium Clock used to be on O'Connell Bridge.

Images for kids

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  The west side of O'Connell Bridge in 2013, where the clock was installed