Page 11 - The Drivers Guide 2019

The Driver's Guide
The irish national war memorial gardens
ISLANDBRIDGE, DUBLIN 8
The Irish National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge, Dublin 8 are dedicated “to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914–1918”. Lying on the banks of the River Liffey, the Gardens were expertly designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. They are one of four gardens in Ireland designed by this famous architect, the others being Heywood Gardens, Lambay Island and those in Howth Castle.
The site chosen for the Gardens is around fifty acres in size and around this specific location next to the Liffey was once an important ancient and
medieval fording point. The earliest Viking burials were found in the area in the early nineteenth century. In 2011, as part of a State visit, Queen Elizabeth II included the Gardens as a key location on her itinerary.
A year after the First World War ended in 1919, the initial motivation was decided upon for creating the Gardens. At a meeting held in Dublin on the 17th of July, 1919, over one hundred delegates from all over Ireland set up a memorial committee with the purpose of creating a national war memorial. Various locations were discussed for designation until in 1929
Islandbridge was granted approval. The public park and interior memorial lawn you see today were created using a construction team of ex-servicemen from both the British Army and the Irish National Army.
Today, the Gardens are a top spot for locals and tourists alike, tranquil and breathtaking in its surrounding atmosphere, which includes rose gardens, tree avenues and herbaceous borders. Keep an eye out for the presence of rowers along the north side of the Liffey and you might even see the occasional angler fishing for salmon or trout.
IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST 9