St Patrick's Park - Patrick Street, Dublin, Ireland
N 53° 20.397 W 006° 16.325
29U E 681610 N 5913557
St Patrick's Park is a rectangular shaped park that is bounded by St Patrick's Cathedral to the south, Bride Street to the east, Bull Alley Street to the north and Patrick Street to the west. The well of St Patrick is located in the park.
Waymark Code: WMQZ6Z
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Date Posted: 04/18/2016
Views: 5
The co-ordinates given are for the Patrick Street entance to the park near the cathedral.
The Dublin City Council website tells us about the park:
Facilities
- Historical
- Floral Schemes
- Leisure Walks
- Playground
- Literary Parade
- Tea Rooms
Situated beside St. Patrick's Cathedral, tradition has it that St. Patrick baptised the first Irish Christians there with water from the River Poddle which flows underground. Developed by Lord Iveagh under the St. Patrick's Park Act of 1897, work was completed by July 1904 to a layout by Arthur Dudgeon C.E., dated 17th July 1901. Lord Iveagh continued to maintain the park for a number of years under a joint arrangement with the Corporation who eventually took full responsibility in the 1920's.
The park provides an ideal setting for the cathedral and recent additions in 1988 include a Literary Parade highlighting the works of Swift, Mangan, Wilde, Shaw, Yeats, Synge, O'Casey, Joyce, Behan, Beckett, Clarke, Dillon and the Liberty Bell Sculpture. There is also a children's playground.
The Buildings of Ireland website also tells us:
Description
Rectangular-plan park, laid out in 1901, to north of Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Lawned and planted areas bounded by granite setts and granite curbs. Sandstone fountain to centre set within granite plinth walls, having marble fountain on stepped base to east end. Raised terrace to east end with elliptical-headed alcoves having brick reveals and ashlar limestone pilasters and cornice, surmounted by cut stone balustrade accessed by flights of stone steps to the north and south ends. Detached three-bay single-storey park constable's house to south-east corner. Bounded by cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lis railing heads having pedestrian gates to four corners and centre of northern boundary of park.
Appraisal
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 upper level of which was used as a bandstand while the lower level provided a sheltered seating area.