September 5 1924
The work of restoration of the Four Courts, Dublin, is being carried out under the direction of the Board of Works, and at present there is a large staff employed on and about the ruins created by explosion and fire in the awful events of July 1922.
The original work by the famous architect [James] Gandon, who carried out his ideas on the “Grand Style”, has been admitted to be among the greatest in the world, and the aim at present of the government is to restore the building as nearly as possible to the original style and character.
Such walls as were stated to be dangerous or unworthy of restoration have been pulled down, to be completely built, but those in the front, or façade, where only breaches were made, as in the east and west walls, are being restored and will be as nearly like the original as they can be made.
After much of the Four Courts complex was destroyed or damaged at the start of the Irish Civil War in the summer of 1922, work commenced on restoring it to its former glory.
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Ireland and the States
Arrangements have been completed whereby enquires from the Irish Free State will be provided with opportunities for seeing American industrialists at work and learning at first hand the secret of America’s national success in the world-struggle for wealth and prosperity.
If many open-minded observers avail of the offer and travel from New York to the Pacific, inspecting mills, factories, mines, farms, and warehouses en route, we hope they will come back and say that the real explanation of industrial progress in the United States can be found in the fact that the people there work, and work, and keep on working.
American methods and machinery are up-to-date; American discipline is admirable; American capacity for sustained effort is better than all. Indeed, the investigators from the Free State need not travel outside their own country for an object lesson. On the way to New York they can halt at Cork City and spend a profitable day in Mr Henry Ford’s factory.
