Liberty Tree

The Liberty Tree stands in the centre of Carlow town in County Carlow, one of the most recognisable landmarks in the county town. A bronze sculpture set on a circular base incorporating a fountain, it occupies a prominent public spot and is easily found by anyone exploring the streets of Carlow on foot.

The work was created by the Dublin-born sculptor John Behan, one of Ireland’s best-known figurative sculptors, and was unveiled on 13 June 1998. It was commissioned by the local authorities to mark the bicentenary of the 1798 rebellion. The sculpture commemorates the rebels who were killed in the Battle of Carlow on 25 May 1798, many of whom are buried in the Croppies’ Grave at Graiguecullen on the edge of the town.

The design takes the striking form of a stylised tree whose trunk and branches are made up of clambering skeletal figures, a deliberately sombre image that reflects the loss of life it recalls. Combining public artwork, memorial and fountain in a single piece, the Liberty Tree is both a focal point of daily life in Carlow and a reminder of a defining episode in the town’s history.