Dublin’s new Peace Garden offers quiet contemplation

DUBLIN’s new Peace Garden at Christchurch Place was officially opened at a ceremony last week.

Cllr Michael Watters, representing the Lord Mayor, Paul McAuliffe, cut the red tape on the newly garden that is designed to provide a beautiful public space for quiet contemplation in the bustling historic centre of the city.

Located in Dublin’s medieval quarter, this 0.1-hectare garden is adjacent to the ruins of the Church of St Nicholas Within and opposite Christchurch Cathedral.

The Peace Garden was originally developed as part of the Dublin Millennium celebrations in 1988. In the original design the garden was ‘sunken’, which was a popular theme at the time.

However, the space became problematic because the steps and low wall did not comply with updated standards for universal access and safety. Ultimately the garden was closed to the public for almost 10 years, due to loitering and anti-social behaviour.

The newly designed garden has been raised with a ramped access to be fully accessible to all.

The materials used in the pavement, steps and seating (Carlow limestone setts and Wicklow granite) reflect the quality of the original garden and the materials used by Dublin City Council in other recent public realm improvements at St Audoen’s Park and Christchurch Cathedral.

The Tree of Life, a bronze sculpture by artist Leo Higgins, which was in the original garden, has been restored and returned to the park and extracts from poems by WB Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh are embedded in the stone walls and footpaths throughout the park.

 John Behan’s sculpture Millennium Child stands at the entrance to the park.

In April, a ceremony jointly organised by Dublin City Council and the Government of Flanders, Belgium, remembered all those from the Island of Ireland who died in Flanders Fields during World War I.

“I want to congratulate Dublin City Council’s Parks Service for the work they have done in recreating the Peace Park at Christchurch Place,” Cllr Michael Watters said.

“It is wonderful to have this park once again open to the public.”

Leslie Moore, Head of Parks Service in Dublin City Council, added: “The Parks Service of Dublin City Council has a dedicated team of horticulturists who will maintain the Peace Garden as a haven for people and biodiversity.

The ‘Peace Garden’ is one of a number of projects in Dublin City Council’s Public Realm Masterplan 2016.

The project has been supported by Fáilte Ireland under its capital investment programme.