City’s hidden park is given a new life

ONE of Dublin’s hidden gems has been given a new lease of life thanks to a major restoration programme.

Last week, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Nial Ring and Paul Keeley, Commercial Director of Fáilte Ireland attended the official reopening of St Audoen’s Park in Dublin 8. They were joined by the Canon Mark Gardner, St Audoen’s Church of Ireland and Fr Stanislaw Hajkowski, St Audoen’s Catholic Church.

Before the recent works took place, the park was barely noticeable from High Street due to its narrow entrance, high walls and uninviting railings. In addition, the many nooks, crannies and hiding spaces were ideal for anti-social loitering which deterred people from entering the park. 

 The opening up of views into the park and the newly widened entrance shows passers-by the full expanse of the park. It also gives a direct line of sight of St Audoen’s Church and the old city wall which was previously concealed from view. 

Lord Mayor Ring said: “The city council has a close and important partnership with Fáilte Ireland to promote Dublin City for tourism, the orientation of tourists when they arrive, the animation of the city with festivals and events and the improvement of visitor infrastructure and public realm.

“Today we are celebrating the success of that strategic partnership with Fáilte Ireland.”

 Paul Keeley, Director of Commercial Development at Fáilte Ireland, added: “Fáilte Ireland warmly welcomes the reopening of one of Dublin’s oldest public spaces which has been enjoyed by past generations for hundreds of years. The improvement works undertaken have now secured the future of this hidden gem in the heart of medieval Dublin for future generations of locals and visitors alike.

“We are confident that St Audeon’s Park will now become a place where even more visitors stop to rest, relax and soak up the atmosphere of one of Dublin’s most historic areas.”

 The project was planned and devised by Dublin City Council, and funded by Fáilte Ireland as part of the ‘Dubline’, a tourist walking route from Trinity College via Guinness to Kilmainham.