DALYMOUNT PARK

25/07/2022

Dalymount Park is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.

It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as Dalyer by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football", holding many Irish internationals and FAI Cup finals. It has also hosted UEFA Champions League qualifiers, UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup matches. However, the ground was largely undeveloped between the 1940s and the 2000s, and has now fallen out of use as a major venue, except for the home games of Bohemians.

The ground has also been used as a home ground by other League of Ireland teams, including Shamrock Rovers, Dublin City F.C. and Sporting Fingal, and will be used by Shelbourne F.C. once it has been developed. However by February 2022, Shelbourne proposed the purchase of Tolka Park, and the cancellation of the plan to share Dalymount.

Dublin City Council announced in March 2015 that it would purchase Dalymount Park in a deal including the taking back of Tolka Park which it has been leasing to Shelbourne F.C. The council completed the purchase in June 2015 for €3.8million. It was hoped that Bohemians and Shelbourne would become joint sub-tenants to the Football Association of Ireland at Dalymount, and that the ground could be redeveloped. It is thought that Bohemians, the Council and the stadium will emerge from the deal debt-free. The Dalymount deal went ahead despite issues with the Tolka Park acquisition. In October 2016 it was announced that Shelbourne FC would be moving in, after months of speculation. However by February 2022, Shelbourne proposed the purchase of Tolka Park, and the cancellation of the plan to share Dalymount.

LOST TENNIS BALL

24/07/2022

If my dog had found this he would be in a panic trying to return it to whoever threw it.

I often wondered why do dogs like tennis balls and do dogs provide a larger market than tennis players.

I decided to search for an answer online and found the following explanation: Dogs love tennis balls as they are the perfect size to be held comfortably in their mouth and they have a wonderful springy texture that induces them to bite down and enjoy the ball as it springs back up again.

PETERS LANE IN PHIBSBOROUGH

24/07/2022

There were two places where one could be guaranteed to find worthwhile street art. The first place is Peter Place near the Charlemont tram stop and the second is Peters Lane in Phibsborough.

Unfortunately the artwork on Peters Lane has not been updated for a long time and it would appear that the location attracts illegal dumping.

LARGE CELTIC CROSS

24/07/2022

This impressive large cross was carved with a skull and cross bones above four symbols of the weakness and guilt of humanity. These from left to right are the cock, reflecting the betrayal of Jesus Christ by St Peter, a pillar symbolising his scourging, a serpent reflecting the fall from grace of the garden of Eden and finally the crown of thorns.

The high cross also has a carving of a whip on each corner.

ST PETER'S CHURCH IN PHIBSBOROUGH

22/07/2022

Unfortunately I have never mastered the art of photographing within buildings, especially churches but it is possible that I am constrained by the fact that I do not employ flash.

St. Peter's is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows, particularly the west window and Harry Clarke's early masterpiece entitled The Adoration of the Sacred Heart. The window depicts, among scenes of the life of Jesus Christ, the adoration of the Sacred Heart with Ss. Mary Magdalene and John the Evangelist.

St. Peters is richly decorated with Gothic embellishments, such as gargoyles, pinnacles, bosses and columns made from Newry granite.

In the early 19th century, Phibsborough was a crime-ridden suburb home to many families living in poverty. Ultimately, the concern for the children of Phibsborough resulted in the founding of a Catholic school in 1826. Two of the priests running this school, Rev. W. Young and Rev. W. Carroll, converted the top floor of the school into a chapel.

In 1838 the Vincentian order, under Dean Philip Dowley, took over the running of the church.

In 1843, new school buildings were built to house the growing number of students. The second floor of the old structure was removed and the chapels length was augmented, leaving it 123 feet (37 m) long and 35 feet (11 m) high. In 1907, work on the spire apparently commenced after Cardinal Moran of Australia commented on the lack of Catholic church spires in the Dublin skyline.

St Peter's Church is recognised as an important landmark in North Dublin. In 1984 Bernard Neary wrote:

You could hardly be called a Dubliner if you hadn't heard of St. Peter's Church, Phibsborough. Standing proudly on Dublin's Northside, each stone of this noble landmark bears the story of hundreds of Irish people of many generations who dared to dream a dream.

SHANDON PARK IN PHIBSBOROUGH

22/07/2022

Shandon Park, in Phibsboro, is an attractive road of red-brick homes with railed gardens.

Since the 1930s the Shandon Residents’ Association (SRA) has represented the residents in the Shandon area (Shandon Park, Shandon Road, Shandon Drive and Shandon Crescent) in Phibsborough, Dublin. Their aim is to improve the area by working closely with Dublin City Council (DCC), addressing various issues such as environmental enhancement & improved road safety.  Furthermore, their most important goal is to increase the sense of belonging to a community by organising social events such as the annual summer street party, Christmas carols, street clean ups, and other events as appropriate.

SHANDON GARDENS

22/07/2022

As the weather is somewhat less hot than it was I decided to visit the Cabra area of Dublin so I got the tram and got off at the stop beside Mount Bernard Public Park. My intention was to spend two or three hours exploring the area but the heat proved to be too much for me so I returned home by foot.

I cannot decide if Shandon Gardens is in Cabra or Phibsborough so I did ask a few locals  and I got different answers. Anyway I came across the following description in the property section of a local newspaper: Located on your doorstep are a host of local amenities including shops, schools, restaurants and bars and is within walking distance of the Luas, the Mater Hospital, the Four Courts, Kings Inns and the DIT City Centre Campus at Grangegorman. For more leisurely pursuits are Mt Bernard Park is on your doorstep, the Royal Canal Walk, the Botanic Gardens and the Phoenix Park. This property will be of interest to those looking for a home in a quiet and highly desirable location within walking distance of Dublin city centre.

MOUNT BERNARD PARK JULY 2022

22/07/2022

I originally thought that this was Mt [Mount] Ben Ard Park because that is what is on one of the gates.

Even though I live close by I did no know of this park until I came across it be accident in 2011. Dublin is full of well maintained parks and most of them could be described as "attractive" but this park is not one of them but it does have one excellent attraction and that is the free tennis courts.

The main entrance to Mount Bernard Park is located at Liam Whelan Bridge, Connaught Street with another entrance at Shandon Park.  The park was purchased by Dublin City Council in 1983 from the Dominican Nuns and it extends 1.8468 hectares.

VISIT TO BULLOCK HARBOUR JULY 2022

03/07/2022

The current harbour quay and walls were constructed of local granite in the early 19th century where previously a rocky inlet had provided a natural harbour. Bullock Harbour is the subject of a specific local objective (SLO22) in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's county development plan.

Bullock, a small fishing village, has been known to many races, since pre-Christian Druids first built a standing stone circle here (since quarried to build the Martello towers). The name is said to derive from the Scandinavian for "Blue Haven" and again from the Gaelic word for a tidal blow hole which existed in the rocks. The land at Bullock was given to the Cistercian monks by an Irish king 'beyond the memory of man'. Fishing rights came with the land and it was to protect these lucrative fisheries from the Wicklow tribes that Bullock Castle was built in the 12th century and around the castle grew up a tiny town, completely walled and protected at intervals by towers.

A family of seals live at the harbour and like being fed by local children and tourists. Common and bottleneck dolphins have been reported in the vicinity. The diversity of marine flora and fauna reflects that of the Dalkey coastline.

PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF DALKEY

03/07/2022

Some people that I know got the keys to their new home in Dalkey on Friday, after returning from working abroad, and I was invited to Sunday lunch which gave me an opportunity to photograph the village.

Although seven 15th-16th century castles were originally built in the area, by 1837 it was noted (in Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland) that: Four of its ancient castles have been entirely destroyed, and the remains of three others which have been long dismantled, convey striking indications of their former importance; one has been converted into a private dwelling, another is used as a store, and the third as a carpenters shop.

Dalkey's remaining Norman castle is now in use as a town hall and museum.

Dalkey lies by the coast, between Dún Laoghaire (and Sandycove and Glasthule), Glenageary and Killiney. Off the coast are Dalkey Island (up to the 18th century, also "St. Begnet's Island"), Malden Rock, Clare Rock, Lamb Island, and, further offshore, The Muglins, which have their own lighthouse. The town is on fairly level land, but the district rises to Dalkey Hill (140 m), the northern peak of a ridge which continues to Killiney Hill to the southwest; the two hills are now contained within the public park known as Killiney Hill Park. Along the coast are the natural harbour at Bullock, a couple of small inlets, Sorrento Point just east of the town proper, and the northern park of Killiney Bay.

02/07/2022

A few minutes after I arrived it began to rain and, much to my surprise, I discovered that there were no shelters in the park and the trees did not provide much protection.

Saint Patrick’s Park, located to the north of the cathedral, was opened by King Edward VII in July 1902. It is bounded by Patrick Street to the west, Bull Alley to the north and Bride Street to the east. It was laid out as part of the redevelopment of the area by the Guinness family in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and provides an attractive setting for both Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and the Iveagh Play Centre. The landscaping was the work of Mr. Crasp of Chester and the construction work was undertaken by engineer Mr. Arthur Dudgeon. The geometric landscaping is enhanced by the two stone fountains on the park's principal axis and a modern sculpture of a steel bell by Vivienne Roche. A brick terrace was constructed to cope with the fall in ground level between Bride Street Patrick Street.

THE HIDDEN PUBLIC PARK

02/07/2022

The Iveagh Gardens is a public park located between Clonmel Street and Upper Hatch Street, near the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. It is a national, as opposed to a municipal park, and designated as a National Historic Property. The gardens are almost completely surrounded by buildings making them less noticeable and a little hard to find, unlike other green spaces in Dublin.

In the late 18th century Lord Milltown leased the land to John Hatch, the principal developer of Harcourt and Hatch Streets. Hatch sold it to The 1st Earl of Clonmell (also known as "Copper-Faced Jack") as his private gardens. The gardens then became known as Clonmell Lawns Located on Harcourt Street is Clonmell House that faces on to Clonmell Street which leads into the Iveagh Gardens. A subterranean passage brought the Earl from his house to the gardens without him having to walk over the street. The Wide Streets Commission had planned for Clonmell Street to run through what is now the gardens thereby linking Harcourt Street to the then newly constructed Earlsfort Terrace. However, this passage was not located during archaeological monitoring conducted during the construction of the LUAS.

When the 1st Earl died in 1798, his son the 2nd Earl (then aged 14 years old) inherited the estate including Clonmell Gardens. The estate was sold in 1810 and the gardens were opened for public use around 1817 and renamed "Coburg Gardens" after the royal family of Saxe-Coburg. Entrance to the park was from the South Side of St Stephen's Green, the "Royal Horse Bazaar".

The Coburg Gardens provided the setting for a major riot in August 1835, during which several Orangemen were badly injured. By 1860 the gardens had fallen into disrepair being used as a site for grazing sheep and dumping waste.

In 1862, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness co-founded the Dublin Exhibition Palace and Winter Garden Company (Limited), with the intention of providing a permanent exhibition of Irish arts and manufactures and also reading rooms, flower gardens, and a gas-lit winter garden, for public enjoyment modeled on the Crystal Palace of Sydenham. He sold the 17-acre site to the company for the price he had paid for it. The site was selected as the location for the Dublin Exhibition Palace and Winter Garden, which was officially opened by H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, on 9 May 1865.

In 1870, Sir Benjamin Lee's sons, Edward Cecil Guinness (later Lord Iveagh) and Arthur Edward Guinness (later Lord Ardilaun), re-acquired the buildings and grounds from the Dublin Exhibition Palace Company. In 1872, the site was used for an Exhibition of Irish arts and manufactures, however, this was not a success and the gardens reverted to private ownership. The Winter Gardens were sold in 1882 and removed to England. In 1883, Edward Cecil Guinness sold the exhibition buildings to the Commissioners of Public Works to be adapted to house the new Royal University, and the gardens remained the property of the Guinness family. The buildings were further adapted after the creation of University College Dublin (UCD), in 1908 and in 1918, the present façade to Earlsfort Terrace was erected to the designs of Rudolph Maximilian Butler.

Éamon de Valera, who was then both Taoiseach and also chancellor of University College Dublin, initiated inquiries with The 2nd Earl of Iveagh as to whether he would sell Iveagh House and the gardens complex to the Irish state. On 8 June 1937, this request was declined. However, on 4 May 1939 Lord Iveagh wrote to Éamon de Valera offering the Iveagh complex by way of gift to the nation. Lord Iveagh had been concerned as to the future use of the site, and specified in his letter of offer to Éamon de Valera that the Iveagh Gardens remain unbuilt on, as a lung for Dublin. On 17 May 1939 this gift was accepted by the Government and Éamon de Valera wrote to Rupert, Lord Iveagh. In 1941, the Gardens were re-united with the college buildings of Earlsfort Terrace. However, there is, as of 2020, no public access to the former college buildings which are now buildings of the National Concert Hall and the planned children's science museum, Experimentation Station.

With the growth of student numbers at the university buildings, consideration was given in 1961 to building on the Iveagh Gardens. However, this did not occur and the university moved instead to Belfield, thereby saving the gardens.

In 1991 the gardens were placed under the management of The Office of Public Works. The OPW brief was under six distinct headings:

to conserve and restore a unique city-centre park, which has remained largely unaltered since its layout by the landscape architect Ninian Niven;

to improve public accessibility by constructing a new entrance from Hatch Street;

to focus attention on one of Ireland's most influential landscape architects and horticulturists, Ninian Niven, by conserving one of his few surviving landscape creations; 

to conserve the internal and perimeter vegetation to screen out adjacent office blocks and buildings;

to highlight the large range of landscape features for public enjoyment and landscape appreciation; and to restore these gardens creating a major tourist attraction offering a unique landscape not available in other city parks and gardens in Dublin.

A major restoration of the gardens to return them to their original state commenced in 1992 and they opened again to the public in 1992. The waterfall or cascade was allocated IR£200,000 in 1996 for its restoration.

In 2003, a new entrance was added to the Gardens from Upper Hatch Street. I must admit that I was unaware of this entrance until this visit [July 2022].

The gardens in their present form were designed by Ninian Niven, in 1865, as an intermediate design between the 'French Formal' and the 'English Landscape' styles.

A large sunken lawn located near the Earlsfort Terrace entrance is Ireland's only purpose-built archery field. At its eastern end was a pond and boating tower. The tower now stands inside the boundary wall of Iveagh House. Beneath this lawn lie the remains of an elephant from Dublin Zoo, which was buried there in 1922.

The cascade, or waterfall, flows over an immense rockery, with rocks from each of Ireland's 32 counties. The cascade uses recycled water today but originally used water from the Grand Canal.

The maze, which is a miniature copy of London's Hampton Court Maze.

THE HAVEN BAR IN LIMERICK HAS CEASED TRADING

23/04/2022

According to Google Maps this pub, established in 1866,  has ceased trading.

Back in 2016 I came across the following message online: We at The Haven Bar would like to thank all our customers & friends for your understanding while we carry out the necessary works and renovations to the premises .Good news is that renovations are progressing well and we hope to be reopened soon. We would like to thank you all for your support and well wishes. Looking forward to seeing you soon." 

The owner of McCoys John Costello was interviewed by a local newspaper and they indicated that they had the Limerick bar stripped, transported and rebuilt as an authentic Irish bar in Alicante.

MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE IN LIMERICK

20/04/2022

Mary Immaculate College, founded in 1898, is a University-level College of Education and the Liberal Arts, academically linked with the University of Limerick. The College is a multi-campus institution, with a student population of over 5,000 students enrolled in undergraduate programmes in Primary and Post-Primary Education, Liberal Arts and Early Childhood Care and Education, as well as a range of postgraduate programmes at Diploma, MA and PhD levels.

MIC has undergone significant growth and development in recent decades with the overall student population witnessing a tenfold increase since 1992. This expansion has brought with it a significant expansion and broadening of MIC's academic provision, as well as a re-development of the campus which now offers teaching, learning and research facilities as well as events and conferencing facilities. In 2016, MIC expanded its geographical footprint following the incorporation of St Patrick's College in Thurles, another well-established college, offering four degree programmes preparing students to become second-level teachers.

As a result of the incorporation of St. Patrick's College, Thurles, MIC is now a multi-campus institution offering 13 undergraduate degree programmes in Education and the Liberal Arts, as well as Continuing Professional Development offerings for teachers and numerous postgraduate opportunities to Masters and PhD level. Also in 2016, a consortium, led by MIC, was awarded the contract from the Higher Education Authority for the delivery of the National Higher Education Programme for Inclusion Coordinators in Early Years Settings.

Close on 10% of students on campus are mature students, a relatively high figure when compared to other third level institutions. The college, in addition to catering for mature students, also offers special entry to disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, refugees, members of ethnic minorities, and Travellers. MIC also offers Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and is committed to improving access to higher education for adults. A range of tailored programmes and supports make the journey for adult learners as easy as possible.

Through its Erasmus and student exchange programmes, the college also has an overseas complement in its student body. Students come from England, Wales, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Nigeria, Italy, Sudan, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, China, United States, Indonesia, Norway, Denmark, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Iceland.

The college has recently expanded into Mount Convent, a former Sisters of Mercy convent on O'Connell Avenue, Limerick, where it houses postgraduate students.

UL OLDER CAMPUS COUNTY LIMERICK

19/04/2022

When I was young my father often referred to UL as the American University because elements of the US university system were adopted, including cooperative education, grade point average marking and the trimester system. During the 1970s, limited public financing led management to seek World Bank and European Investment Bank funding. Sophisticated private-sector fundraising programmes were later developed, based on US university models and guided by an international leadership board under founding chair Chuck Feeney and Lewis Glucksman. The campus developed primarily as a result of such fundraising activity.

The university has been an active participant in the European Union's Erasmus Programme since 1988 and has 207 partner institutions in 24 European countries. In addition, UL students may study at partner universities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China and Singapore.

UL NORTH CAMPUS IN COUNTY LIMERICK

19/04/2022

COUNTY CLARE SIDE OF THE SHANNON RIVER

The university's Foundation Building, including the University Concert Hall (home to the Irish Chamber Orchestra), the library and several others, were built during the 1990s. The Materials & Surface Science Institute (MSSI) building, Dromroe Student Village, a sports arena and swimming pool were built between 2000 and 2004. In 2005, the Engineering Research Building and Millstream Courtyard buildings opened in a complex near the Foundation Building.

The Kemmy Business School building was constructed next to the Schuman Building, and is the world's first business school with a live trading floor. Several new buildings have opened on the north bank of the Shannon. The University Bridge, opened in late 2004, provides road and pedestrian access to the planned North Bank campus. Thomond Village was the first North Bank facility (opening in 2004), followed by the Health Sciences Building in 2005. The Living Bridge, a pedestrian bridge, connects the Millstream Courtyard and the Health Sciences Building. Cappavilla Village was completed in mid-2006 on the North Bank; a building for the Irish World Music Centre (formerly in the Foundation Building basement), began construction in May 2007 and was completed in January 2010. An architectural-faculty building is under construction opposite the CSIS building. The university hopes to expand the North Bank campus to the size of the original campus.

The on-campus University Arena is Ireland's largest indoor sports complex. Open since 2002, it consists of the National 50m Swimming Pool. The arena's 3,600-square-metre (4,300 sq yd) Indoor Sports Hall has four wooden courts for a variety of sports, a sprint track, an international 400m athletics track and a 200m, three-lane, suspended jogging track. The facility has a cardiovascular and strength-training centre, a weight-training room, team rooms, an aerobics studio and classrooms. The Arena is often used by the Munster rugby team.

Its €28 million development was made possible with €7.6 million in government grants, a €6.9 million donation from the University of Limerick Foundation, about €4 million in student contributions and commercial funding. Each year, it accommodates over 500,000 customers and many international athletes and teams.

The arena hosted the 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games, from 9 to 13 June. In one of the year's largest Irish sporting events, 1,900 Special Olympians from throughout Ireland participated in the games.

UL's €9 million, all-weather sports complex on the North Campus is the largest all-weather sports-field complex in Europe.[citation needed] The multi-purpose, floodlit, artificial turf park has two soccer, one rugby and one GAA pitch. Third-generation all-weather surfaces are similar to natural grass and are designed for full contact. Each full-size pitch can be sub-divided to create smaller playing areas for various sports. The largest artificial-grass development in Ireland to date, it is designed to World Rugby, GAA and FIFA specifications.

The synthetic surface reduces the risk of injury caused by hard or uneven surfaces.[citation needed] The Sports Pavilion Building has changing rooms, squad and coaching rooms and bar, restaurant and conference facilities. The complex is funded from a number of sources, including operating income and campus-based commercial activities.

The playing pitches opened in July 2011, and the Sports Pavilion was expected to open in November 2011.[needs update] The facility is available to the general public as well as the campus community. In addition to these facilities, conventional playing fields, tennis courts, an artificial-turf pitch, an outdoor athletics track and the University Boathouse are on the Limerick side of the river. The boathouse has Ireland's only indoor rowing tank, which can accommodate up to 8 rowers simultaneously. The tank can simulate a variety of water conditions, providing training opportunities for rowers to reach international standards. The building also includes a launch jetty into the Shannon, a pontoon and a café.

THE RICHARD RUSSELL FOUNTAIN

19/04/2022

Limerick’s much loved Richard Russell Fountain is a favourite of mine even though it has a twin in Belfast, one is red and the other is yellow.

The fountain, the only one of its kind in the State, has been returned to the Peoples’ Park after spending 7 months being carefully restored by Eura Conservation in Telford. 

Limerick City Council and Limerick Civic Trust decided to restore the fountain which dates from the 1870s after a careful inspection found that it was in a very poor state of repair and was, in fact, in danger of falling.

The fountain was dismantled without the use of many tools as the reinforcements and supporting materials were badly damaged. It was therefore only a matter of time before the fountain collapsed due to the weight of the dome. The conservation team returned to Telford within days of beginning the dismantling process and transported the historic Richard Russell fountain across the Irish Sea.

Simon Ward, Eura Restoration Project Manager described the condition as “quite unlike anything that I have seen before”. “This did make the project challenging to say the very least,” said Simon. “I would now rate the restoration as a fascinating and a personal favourite”.

The work that followed began with a blasting and cleaning process to ascertain if there were any further problems lurking under the paint work. What Eura did find was an impressive pallet of hues after carrying out a colour analysis test. To remain true to the original form the fountain was returned back to a glorious mixture of red and white. Before painting began however immense work was carried out to repair and replace the damaged or lost parts of the fountain.

To save on expenditure Eura used moulds that were already available as they had recently restored the Jaffe fountain in Belfast. The Jaffe is an exact replica of the Richard Russell fountain as both were cast in the Sun Foundry, Glasgow. It is now difficult to spot the new sections from the old because the pieces were cast in the traditional way by Eura’s blacksmith.

A substantial part of the work involved reinforcing and weatherproofing the fountain to ensure that it will be another 150 years if not longer before the fountain will need to be restored again. 

11/04/2022

Almost every time I have visited Limerick the visit was ruined by constant rain. This year I took a huge gamble and visited early in April and in general the weather was excellent but the first evening was not at all promising as it rained for about five hours.

The park boasts a number of interesting items including a memorial upon a giant pillar to Thomas Spring Rice, MP for the city of Limerick from 1820–1832, a 19th-century bandstand, an ornate drinking fountain (one of only two on the island of Ireland) and two gazebos.

Modern facilities include a playground opened in 2001 and memorial garden to The Little Angels of Limerick opened in 2002.

The Park was initially developed as part of the Pery Square development in the Newtown Pery area of central Limerick. This development commenced in 1835 and the associated park was a key-holders only park. The intended plan was to surround the park with housing for the more affluent members of society.

Pery Square was intended to be a complete Georgian square with the Georgian terraces enclosing a central park, similar in layout to Merrion Square or Mountjoy Square in Dublin, however more modest in scale. Ireland's Georgian economy began to decline with the onset of the Great Irish Famine and only one terrace of the square was ever completed funds for the project ran out before this could be completed.

The park was officially opened in 1877, it was given to the People of Limerick in honour of Richard Russell, a prominent local businessman. It was the then Earl of Limerick in the 1870s who granted a 500-year lease of Pery Square and the surrounding grounds to the corporation under certain conditions. These included an agreement that no political or religious meetings were allowed to be held in the park and bands were not to play there on a Sunday.

The plots of land that were earmarked for the development of the Georgian Square were eventually incorporated into the park and extended it further north to what is now Mallow Street, eastwards towards Boherbuoy Road and southwards towards St. Joseph Street.