Brown Thomas says ‘mixed reaction’ to James Connolly display

Was it for a Marni polka dot skirt costing €1,590 or a ruched long sleeve dress by JW Anderson (€1,075) that the wild geese spread their grey wing on every tide?

When James Connolly declared that the Irish people will only be free when they " own everything from the plough to the stars", did he also having in mind a €425 Victorian cherry print top by Marc Jacobs?

The juxtaposition of the image of Connolly, the arch-socialist and 1916 Rising leader , and designer wear costing more than the average week's wages in a window of Dublin's most exclusive store, Brown Thomas, as part of a 1916 display has amused some and angered others on social media.

The historian Edward Madigan tweeted: "Socialist James Connolly in window of Brown Thomas, Dublin's most exclusive shop. Seen it all now! #EasterRising."

The television producer Helen O’Rahilly tweeted: “Seriously @BrownThomas you think this is a good idea? Flogging pricey dresses with J Connolly?”

A statement from Brown Thomas acknowledged that there was a “mixed reaction on social media” to the display which includes holograms and 3D imagery featuring 1916, but the store had “ received many compliments from the public who are enjoying interacting with the video installations hidden within the windows”.

It was far from designer clothes Connolly was reared as the child of poor Irish emigrants in Edinburgh. He struggled throughout his life to make a living for himself, his wife and his six children and believed the "capitalist system is the most foreign thing in Ireland" .

The window display also features images of Constance Markievicz, who might at one time in her life have shopped at Brown Thomas given her aristocratic upbringing, but became a committed socialist later in life.

Brown Thomas windows have been a feature of Dublin life for decades especially at Christmas time.

Grafton Street largely escaped the fighting during Easter Week. Unlike Arnotts or Cleary's on the northside, Brown Thomas was not damaged by enemy shelling.