leviathanofparsonstown

William Parsons, third Earl of Rosse, John's Place, Birr, County Offaly and yes to answer your questions.

Streetview The NIAH entry dates it to c. 1870 (he died in 1867) and the photo is pre-engraving of his name on the plinth, so it must be shortly after it was erected.

A slightly different view of the statue in the Lawrence Collection, but also lacking engraving so probably taken at a similar time frame.

within NLofI Flickr I think you have a photo listed with the "great telescope",

The DIA says it is by John Henry Foley, who also started the O'Connell monument in O'Connell St, did Fr. Matthew in Cork, Goldsmith and Burke in Trinity, Prince Albert on Leinster Lawn, Carlisle and Gough in the Phoenix Park, a Guinness at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Grattan on College Green. I think we have seen all of those in the nli Flickr stream!

Yours for half a crown (i.e. 2/6)

Irish Independent - Thursday 06 August 1896 - but it was advertised extensively until about 1914 (still 2/6)

Several articles in following years quote it, until the late 1920s, even though one quote is prefaced: "The otherwise very reliable and excellent little Dictionary of Dublin says: [etc etc]" (Weekly Freeman's Journal - Saturday 05 December 1914)

The word on the street is that National Library of Ireland on The Commons has a copy

(Evening Irish Times - Monday 26 May 1913)

26 Christchurch Cathedral

Major Spoiler : archive.org/details/dictionaryofdubl00cosgiala/mode/1up

Number 24 not only has the Gunpowder Office but also the big sign advertising the photographery business Chancellors, who advertised their Movable Boudoir to convey Sitters to the Galleries. Nothing else of interest at all in picture 24.

Another Spoiler Alert! Flickr is sometimes amazing! Via British Library For example no. 19 More - www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/tags/sysnum000792938