Reply To: Parkitecture

Yes the Great War Memorial Park is my favourite (and only architectural park) in the city. This the remarkable creation of Sir Edwin Lutyens laid out (just in time ) in the late 1930s along the Liffey and up until the late late 70s a halting site for stray horses. Thanks to Kevin Myers and a few others who campaigned for its restoration and above all its recognition. The walk adjacent to the park from Trinirty’s boathouse to Chapelizod is also remarkably the only public walk along the entire lenght of the Liffey that runs through Dublin and only exists due to the design of the Memorial Park itself. Great things/ public spaces could be created here on both sides of the Liffey its deserving of a little vision / tourism promotion and a lot of planning from DCC before its ‘developed’.

One can access the park via St. John’s across the road from Entrance to Clancy (Islandbridge) Barracks on the SCR or via the gates on Con Colbert Road.

Incidently, the Eastern Garden symbolises a place of prayer for the 50,000 spirits (greatest lost of Irish life since the Famine) of the Irishmen who served and fell with the Irish Guards and other regiments of the Great War and the Western Garden symbolises a place of recreation for the fallen soldiers. The 4 towers symbolise the 4 provinces of Ireland and are in fact small museums. The trees surrounding the park symbolise lines of soldiers but many were lost to Dutch Elm disease in the 70s- would certainly recommend you get on your bike and visit and enjoy the park and its river walk this weekend.