I first started my bird’s eye tour of Dublin hovering over the Abbey Theatre, however as I began to explore the surrounding neighborhood, I allowed myself to get a little lost. I find that getting lost is the best way to stumble upon other landmarks when traveling. I ended up exploring Trinity College and Parnell Square. As I took in my surroundings I was struck by all of the cultural landmarks situated so tightly together, but I was also amazed at how urban everything looked. It all looks just a little more well-used than I expected, and yet I still found it charming.
As I began to look more closely at the landmarks in the neighborhood, I found myself drawn to the Remembrance Garden. Kilfeather says that “the design of the garden itself, although typical of its era, now seems uninspired” (189). I would argue that it does not need to be particularly inspired as a memorial dedicated to the lives lost during the Easter Risings. The design comes off as an authentic memorial. I am not quite sure about the purpose of using The Children of Lir as the dominant piece in the garden, but I do think that the pool shaped like a cross is both tasteful as a memorial piece and beautifully simplistic.
I was rather sorry to read that it now enjoys less prominence as an area for tourist and public meetings. The park is beautiful if a bit religious. That a public space that has fallen into disuse has fallen into seedier hands is not surprising though, as it often occurs in other places.
Next, I went to see some Dublin street art. It was awe-inspiring. The artwork looks so vibrant. It was like looking at stained glass. The artwork seemed to celebrate the beauty of Ireland’s women with some religious undertones. It was a lovely look at the more urban parts of Dublin.
Hi Demetria! That the Remembrance Garden has fallen out of us is very sad to hear. It is beautiful to me also even if ‘uninspired’. Especially knowing that it is the location of the Easter Uprising memorial, makes it a all the sadder. I guess history is often forgotten even if there is a location denoting remembrance. I was once walking on the sidewalk in downtown Boston and I saw a small plaque on the side of a US post office that announced that in the very location, the first phone call in which a complete sentence was spoken took place. Admittedly, this is not near the importance or bloodshed of the Easter Uprising, but I get a similar feeling thinking of the lack of popularity of both of the locations. I am sad more people do not go to the Remembrance Garden as a place of remembrance, but I do hope that when people do go that they see a plaque and think of the past.
Hi Demetria, I enjoyed your comment about letting yourself “get lost” in the neighborhood. That seems to be the most genuine and natural way to explore a city; it’s cool that you transferred this experience into the virtual. It’s definitely sad that this location garners less attention than it deserves because as you describe, it’s truly a quaint spot. I also love that street art, it feels very Celtic. The emerald green really jumps out at the observer.