AS IT WAS IN 2019
The Peace Park, located on Nicholas Street opposite Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, has a complex history. Originally opened in 1988 as a symbol of Ireland's yearning for peace, it fell into disrepair and was closed to the public for nearly a decade.
The park occupies the site of Dublin's old Tholsel, a significant building from the Norman invasion until its demolition around 1809. The Tholsel served various functions, including civic hall, guildhall, court, and gaol. It also housed a merchants' exchange and the City Recorder's Court, where punishments, such as whipping and dragging behind a horse and cart, or flaying and pillorying, were meted out for crimes less serious than murder. These brutal punishments ceased by the late 1700s. The remains of St. Nicholas Within church stand to the south-west of the park.
Designed as a sunken garden in the late 1980s to minimise traffic noise, the park was officially opened in 1988 during the Troubles. Its paving consists of Liscannor Flagstone from County Clare, known for its fossilised traces of unknown organisms. Despite its peaceful intentions, the park became a haven for antisocial behaviour, leading to its indefinite closure in 2009/2010. One local resident I spoke to when I first photographed the derelict park in 2019 confirmed that it had been closed for years due to such issues.
Before its 2019 redevelopment, the park featured a bronze 'Tree of Life' statue, a fountain, and engraved quotes from Irish poets W.B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh. The 'Tree of Life' was installed for Dublin's Millennium celebrations in 1988, alongside other projects like the Molly Malone statue. The "Millennium Child" sculpture by John Behan, depicting three bronze children playing, stands in front of the park. It was unveiled by President Mary McAleese in November 2000 to celebrate the children of the new millennium. By 2019, however, the park was derelict and locked, a far cry from its original purpose. It has since been redeveloped and reopened.
The park occupies the site of Dublin's old Tholsel, a significant building from the Norman invasion until its demolition around 1809. The Tholsel served various functions, including civic hall, guildhall, court, and gaol. It also housed a merchants' exchange and the City Recorder's Court, where punishments, such as whipping and dragging behind a horse and cart, or flaying and pillorying, were meted out for crimes less serious than murder. These brutal punishments ceased by the late 1700s. The remains of St. Nicholas Within church stand to the south-west of the park.
Designed as a sunken garden in the late 1980s to minimise traffic noise, the park was officially opened in 1988 during the Troubles. Its paving consists of Liscannor Flagstone from County Clare, known for its fossilised traces of unknown organisms. Despite its peaceful intentions, the park became a haven for antisocial behaviour, leading to its indefinite closure in 2009/2010. One local resident I spoke to when I first photographed the derelict park in 2019 confirmed that it had been closed for years due to such issues.
Before its 2019 redevelopment, the park featured a bronze 'Tree of Life' statue, a fountain, and engraved quotes from Irish poets W.B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh. The 'Tree of Life' was installed for Dublin's Millennium celebrations in 1988, alongside other projects like the Molly Malone statue. The "Millennium Child" sculpture by John Behan, depicting three bronze children playing, stands in front of the park. It was unveiled by President Mary McAleese in November 2000 to celebrate the children of the new millennium. By 2019, however, the park was derelict and locked, a far cry from its original purpose. It has since been redeveloped and reopened.
AS IT WAS IN 2019