Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Dublin

The Irish National War Memorial Gardens are a memorial landscape in Islandbridge, created to honour Irish people who died during the Great War and others who served in Allied forces. Its most striking feature is the sunken Garden of Remembrance, arranged around a massive granite Stone of Remembrance shaped as an altar. The gardens were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with terraces, pergolas, lawns and tree-lined avenues shaping the grounds.

Look towards the granite book rooms: illuminated volumes preserve the names of the dead, with the rooms representing Ireland’s provinces. A domed temple beside the River Liffey marks the start of the avenue rising towards the Stone of Remembrance. The project itself carries a remarkable story of cooperation.

During construction, workers came equally from former British and Irish armies, and heavy granite blocks were moved with poles, ropes and simple lifting gear. The planned opening in 1939 was postponed as war threatened Europe, and no official opening followed. After years of neglect, the gardens were restored and reopened to the public on 10 September 1988, then formally dedicated by representatives of Ireland’s four main churches. The stone still anchors the memorial’s quiet, deliberate tribute.