Anti-War Memorial

On the banks of the River Abbey in Limerick, Ireland, two busts of copper and brass appear to be having a staring contest from afar.

One is a pompous-looking general, without a blemish on his face. Yet, he is decorated with a dozen medals, each adorned with skulls, representing the lives he has sacrificed for victory. Two missiles serve as his epaulettes. Opposite him is a clearly battle-worn enlisted man with a bandage over his left eye. His sole consolation for his injuries is a giant medal on his chest, yet, unlike the general, he does not seem any the happier for it.

These sculptures respectively represent the two sides of war, the victors and victims. In a way, the memorial honors casualties of war as other war memorials do, albeit in a much more cynical light.

It was created as part of a broader public arts initiative by Limerick in 1987. The work's artist is Vincent Browne, a leading sculptor in Ireland known for his cartoonish and memorable statues such as Dublin's Mr. Screen.