PARKS AND GARDENS

A MUCH FASTER SITE AS IT IS HEADLESS

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THE SUNKEN ROSE GARDENS

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THE IRISH NATIONAL MEMORIAL GARDENS AT ISLANDBRIDGE

Islandbridge is unique: it remains the largest monument to military service of any description on the island of Ireland. I walked there on Sunday and was exhausted, because of the heat, but there is an excellent bus service if you know what stops to use – there are four bus stops on Con Colbert Road [two in each directions] at there is a bus every few minutes.

The sunken rose gardens at Islandbridge are a beautiful and tranquil spot in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens. They are located to the north of the gardens, and they are divided into two sections by a pergola.

The sunken rose gardens are home to a variety of roses, including hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandifloras. The roses are planted in beds that are surrounded by low walls, and they are arranged in a variety of patterns. The gardens are also home to a number of other flowers, including lavender, clematis, and hydrangeas.

The sunken rose gardens are a popular spot for visitors and locals alike. They are a peaceful and tranquil place to relax and enjoy the beauty of the flowers. The gardens are also a popular spot for weddings and photography.

Here are some additional information about the sunken rose gardens:

  • The gardens were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the same architect who designed the rest of the Irish National War Memorial Gardens.
  • The gardens were planted in 1939, and they were officially opened in 1940.
  • The gardens are open to the public free of charge.
  • The gardens are open from 8am to 6pm, from April to September, and from 9am to 5pm, from October to March.

THE GREAT CROSS

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THE IRISH NATIONAL MEMORIAL GARDENS AT ISLANDBRIDGE

Islandbridge is unique: it remains the largest monument to military service of any description on the island of Ireland. I walked there on Sunday and was exhausted, because of the heat, but there is an excellent bus service if you know what stops to use – there are four bus stops on Con Colbert Road [two in each directions] at there is a bus every few minutes.

The Irish National War Memorial Gardens is an Irish war memorial in Islandbridge, Dublin, dedicated “to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914–1918”, out of over 300,000 Irishmen who served in all armies.

Designed by the great memorialist Sir Edwin Lutyens who had already landscaped designed several sites in Ireland and around Europe, it is outstanding among the many war memorials he created throughout the world. He found it a glorious site.

The sunken Garden of Remembrance surrounds a Stone of Remembrance of Irish granite symbolising an altar, which weighs seven and a half tons. The dimensions of this are identical to First World War memorials found throughout the world, and is aligned with the Great Cross and central avenue.

Opposite to the Phoenix Park obelisk, it lies about three kilometres from the centre of Dublin, on grounds which gradually slope upwards towards Kilmainham Hill. Old chronicles describe Kilmainham Hill as the camping place of Brian Boru and his army prior to the last decisive Battle of Clontarf on 23 April 1014. The memorial was amongst the last to be erected to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in World War I (Canada’s National War Memorial was opened in 1939), and is “the symbol of Remembrance in memory of a Nation’s sacrifice”.

The elaborate layout includes a central sunken rose garden composed by a committee of eminent horticulturalists, various terraces, pergolas, lawns and avenues lined with impressive parkland trees, and two pairs of bookrooms in granite, representing the four provinces of Ireland, and containing illuminated volumes recording the names of all the dead.

NO EVIDENCE OF THE RESIDENT TURTLES 28 APRIL 2023

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THE DUCK POND AREA

The pond and nearby is the most popular area for children especially as there is the possibility of seeing at least one of the five turtles/terrapins who have decided that the pond is their “forever home”. I am not sure that the terrapins have survived as I have not seen any of them for more than a year, however, someone did contact a year ago to say that they was a new addition bring the total to six.

In March 2019 I contacted management and received the following response:

Hi William
Thank you for your concern regarding the turtles in the pond. They have been in the pond now for at least 4 years. They were abandoned there without our knowledge but they survive ok by themselves so seem to be quite happy there. They like to sun themselves at the edge of the pond when the weather is warm so they are more visible in summer.
Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.

Best regards
Visitor Centre
National Botanic Gardens

There is also a sculpture, designed by Charles Jencks, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA double helix in 1953. It is a gift to the nation from private donors. It demonstrates our growing knowledge of RNA. It is only recently that we have discovered that all life on earth, from microbes to plants and animals are all related to one another.

note: a young girl corrected me saying that the sculpture relates to RNA rather than DNA and I was not in a position to argue

SCULPTURE IN THE BOTANIC GARDENS – LITTLE BOY

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NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT PRESENT

I cannot find any information relating to this sculpture near the main entrance to the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. This sculpture is on permanent display.

Sculpture in Context (Thursday 6th Sept to Friday 13th Oct 2023) is the longest running, most prestigious sculpture exhibition in Ireland. Staged annually in the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, this unique exhibition showcases the inspiring and extraordinary work of both established and emerging artists throughout the magnificent 50 acres of landscaped gardens located in Glasnevin, just three kilometres from Dublin City Centre.

The opening night is one of the most popular and well attended art launches in Dublin and over the six weeks of the exhibition, in excess of 100,000 people will visit the exhibition.

The 50 acres of landscaped gardens give an unrivalled opportunity to show art beyond the gallery walls and in a natural context, selected artists have the opportunity to exhibit their work in this wonderful location.

FLOWERS IN ALL THEIR GLORY 28 APRIL 2023

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I USED A SONY FX-30 CAMERA

Flowers have long been appreciated by humans for their beauty and pleasant scents, and also hold cultural significance as religious, ritual, or symbolic objects, or sources of medicine and food.

Most flowering plants depend on animals, such as bees, moths, and butterflies, to transfer their pollen between different flowers, and have evolved to attract these pollinators by various strategies, including brightly colored, conspicuous petals, attractive scents, and the production of nectar, a food source for pollinators. In this way, many flowering plants have co-evolved with pollinators be mutually dependent on services they provide to one another—in the plant’s case, a means of reproduction; in the pollinator’s case, a source of food.

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