The History of the People’s Park
The People's Park is near Dun Laoghaire town centre, between Glasthule
and the Seafront. It is approximately 2 hectares in extent. It was developed by
the then Kingstown Town Commissioners towards the end of the 19th century in the formal
Victorian style. It was enclosed by wrought iron railings and gates with the most prominent entrances off George's Street and Queen's Road.
It was laid out with a system of pedestrian
pathways, seats, bandstand, viewing shelter and two very fine cast iron
fountains manufactured by the Sun Foundry, Glasgow.
The Park was officially opened to the public on September
29th 1890 by its designer Mr. J.L. Robinson C.E. A.R.H.A., Chairman of the
Kingstown Town Commissioners. It appears that the development works were
carried out mainly within that year. The Kingstown Town Commissioners acquired
the property, which was a Board of Works quarry, in 1889 and obtained a Local
Government Board loan of £4,000 to develop the park.
Mr.
J.L. Robinson, a prominent architect, became Chairman of the Town Commissioners
in 1889. He also designed the Dun Laoghaire Post Office (now part of the County
Hall), completed by 1879, St. Michael's Hospital (1874), the spire of St.
Michael's Church (1892), and the Town Hall, completed in 1885.
There
was a Martello tower on the site, built in 1805 as part of defences against a
possible Napoleonic invasion. This is shown on plans for the proposed pier in
1817 and is featured on the cover of William Duncan's survey of the County of
Dublin 1821. The original layout of the park shows a pedestrian path system
somewhat more formal and cruciform than the current one. The latter, more
complex path layout appeared by 1937.
The fountain nearest the railway was fully restored to
working order and illuminated in 1985. In 1986 the Council decided to dedicate
the fountain to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, and an inscribed
stone paving slab was laid beside it. The second fountain was similarly
restored in 1988 as part of the Borough Council's contribution to mark Dublin's
Millennium. An inscribed stone slab was also placed in the surrounding paved
area.
Early
maps show a "Gymnasium" in the eastern side of the park. This is
taken to be a synonym for "playground". By the 1930's this area
appears to have been converted to a small plant nursery. A hard surfaced
playground with swings and a slide was subsequently erected in the north
eastern corner of the park probably in the 1950's. A "Garden for the
Blind" feature was added in co-operation with the local Rotary Club. It
features a selection of plants, which, by virtue of their texture and fragrance
may be appreciated and indentified through senses other than the visual.
The old 1950's playground was dismantled in 1988. It was
replaced by a modern playground constructed for greater safety and versatility
in the same year, on the original "Gymnasium" site.
The
Victorian shelter was repaired and the bandstand was fully restored in 1990 to
mark the park's centenary.
The
event was celebrated on 29th September 1990 when the Park was formally
re-dedicated. In 1997 the Victorian shelter was converted to the Park Tea Rooms
which is now a very popular local restaurant/coffee shop. This has contributed
greatly to the use and enjoyment of the park.
The park was conceived as a formal recreation area in
Victorian times. Despite fairly radical alteration to the pathway system, it
still retains that ambience. It is enclosed on two sides by formal stonewalls
and piers with ornate wrought iron railings and gates. Its eastern side adjoins
private properties and is composed mostly of rock outcrop, which serves as a
reminder of its original use as a quarry. Its final boundary with "The
Metals" consists of a more recent railing.
The main structures within the park are:
Landscape features include several trees and hedges of a
variety of species. The mature trees, mainly of sycamore and horse chestnut
have suffered from habitual and formerly fashionable pollarding or lopping.
This
practice has been discontinued for a number of years and the trees have now
developed a shape and freedom more akin to that which nature intended. Early
photographs show a predominance of elm trees. They would have been chosen
because of their tolerance to sea exposure. All however have fallen victim to
Dutch Elm Disease. A practice of local commemorative tree planting has been
implemented in the park in recent years. Voluntary groups with the Council’s
co-operation have carried out various plantings.
The annual spring and summer bedding displays are one of the
park's main attractions. These, together with the very popular new playground
and Tea Rooms contribute significantly to the popularity of the park.
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