West of Dublin city centre, the Liffey flows alongside a garden where a granite stone, a cross and two pools form the heart of an almost perfectly symmetrical composition. On either side, paths lead down to sunken rose gardens. The Irish National War Memorial Gardens, in Islandbridge, are both a place for a stroll and a memorial to Irish soldiers who died during the First World War. To understand the site, take a look at the small stone pavilions, too. They house books that give names to those commemorated by the monument.
Plans for a national memorial date back to the years following the Armistice. Islandbridge, on the south bank of the Liffey, was selected as the site. It offered the opportunity to combine public open spaces with a commemorative complex. The British architect Edwin Lutyens, who had already worked in Ireland, designed the gardens. The Office of Public Works, which manages them today, describes the memorial as dedicated to some 49,400 Irish soldiers who died during the First World War. This is the figure used in the site’s official presentation and in the records visitors are invited to explore.
The memorial took several decades to come to fruition. The gardens were laid out in the 1930s. The opening ceremony planned for 1939 was postponed by the Second World War. Following a period of decline, the Office of Public Works restored them. A dedication ceremony was held in September 1988, as History Ireland recounts in an article by an OPW landscape architect. This chronology explains why dates associated with the site may vary: its construction, restoration and dedication were distinct stages.
Start in the central section and take time to look from one side to the other. The War Stone, the Stone of Remembrance, and the cross create an axis for the whole design. Two circular fountains frame the space, while granite pavilions and pergolas extend the lines of the composition. The symmetry is immediately apparent around the central stone. It becomes even clearer when you move towards one of the rose gardens and look across to the other side of the garden.
The rose gardens are set below ground level, changing the view of the memorial as you descend towards the planting. You move from an open space dominated by monuments to a part of the garden where the flower borders and pergolas are the first things to catch the eye. If you visit when the roses are not in bloom, the layout of the paths and pools remains clear. It is a good way to appreciate Lutyens’s design in any season. To finish, you can leave the formal paths and join the Liffey promenade, if the routes are accessible.
From the outside, the four Bookrooms resemble small classical pavilions. They were designed to house the Ireland’s Memorial Records, volumes listing the names of those commemorated at Islandbridge. Their illustrated pages feature the work of Harry Clarke, who is also known for his stained glass. The change in scale is striking: outside, the stone and pathways give remembrance a collective dimension. In the books, each name is a reminder of an individual life.
If these volumes are the reason for your visit, enquire before setting off. Heritage Ireland specifies that access to the pavilions is by arrangement with the local team. A walk through the gardens and consulting the books therefore need to be organised separately. For seasonal guided tours, the same page provides the contact details for the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.
The gardens are in Islandbridge, Dublin 8. The OPW indicates access from Con Colbert Road and South Circular Road, on the Phoenix Park side. On your map, choose a specific entrance rather than simply searching for the park’s name. This avoids aiming for a point in the middle of the gardens that does not correspond to a gate. If you plan to cross to Phoenix Park, check access conditions before relying on a direct route. The OPW publishes information on the commemorative bridge project and its progress.
From the Kilmainham area, the gardens make a fitting second stop after Kilmainham Gaol or the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. If you have booked the prison, keep your timed slot as the fixed point in your itinerary and plan the gardens before or afterwards. In winter, it is best to schedule your walk for early afternoon: closing time depends on daylight. Once there, begin at the central stone, walk around the rose gardens, then head towards the river if the route is open. If time is short, the heart of the memorial still offers a good understanding of the site.
Want to extend your visit without having to rush around? Here are a few well-located places to stay near the must-see attractions.
Essential information to help you plan your visit, including key landmarks, access information, and booking options.
South Circular Road / Con Colbert Road, Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Tourist sites in Ireland
53.34563, -6.31354
Open all year. From 8am Monday to Friday, and from 10am on Saturdays and Sundays. Closing time depends on daylight. Heritage Ireland announces guided tours on Wednesdays at 2pm, from April to October. Access to the Bookrooms is by arrangement with the local team.
Check the opening hours and admission requirements before you leave, especially during peak season or on Irish public holidays.
Free entry to the gardens.
