Two Working Men facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Two Working Men |
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| Artist | Oisín Kelly |
| Year | 1969 |
| Type | Stone Bronze |
| Location | Cork County Hall, Cork |
| 51°53′35″N 8°30′29″W / 51.893°N 8.508°W | |
The Two Working Men (in Irish, Beirt Fhear Oibre) are two famous statues. They were created by an Irish artist named Oisín Kelly. These statues stand in front of the County Hall in Cork, Ireland. They were first shown to the public in 1969. People in Cork often call them "Cha and Miah."
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The Story Behind the Statues
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The Two Working Men was Oisín Kelly's second public statue. His first famous work was Children of Lir, shown in Dublin in 1966. That same year, Kelly was asked to create a new statue. It was meant for Liberty Hall in Dublin. At that time, Liberty Hall was the tallest building in Ireland. It was also the main office for the SIPTU trade union.
From Dublin to Cork
However, the statues were never placed outside Liberty Hall. SIPTU decided they might cause problems with traffic. In 2007, Desmond Rea O'Kelly, who designed Liberty Hall, shared his thoughts. He said he regretted that Kelly's great sculpture was not put there.
Instead, the statues were placed in front of Cork's new County Hall building in 1969. While the statues were being made, the Cork County Hall became the tallest building in Ireland. It held this record until 2008. The statues were taken away for a while when the County Hall was being updated. But they were put back in their spot in 2006.
What the Statues Look Like
The statues show two men. One man is tall and thin, and the other is shorter and strong. The shorter man wears a cap. His hands are clasped behind his back. The taller man has his hands on his hips. Both men are looking up at the sky. They seem to be admiring the top of the building.
The Meaning Behind the Art
The statues share an important message. They show the common "everyday Irish person." These figures are admiring the finished result of hard work in modern Ireland. They represent the pride in building something new.
Their Local Nickname
After they were first shown, the statues got a local nickname. People in Cork started calling them "Cha and Miah." This name came from two popular characters. They were "everyman" figures from a TV show called Hall's Pictorial Weekly. This show was very popular in the early 1970s.
