Overview
The names of all 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the First World War are held here, hand-illustrated by the stained-glass artist Harry Clarke and kept in four granite bookrooms. The Irish National War Memorial Gardens sit at Islandbridge on the south bank of the River Liffey, just west of the city centre, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and managed today by the Office of Public Works. This is a memorial you walk through rather than look at: terraces, herbaceous borders, and avenues of Irish oak, lime, and ash, arranged for quiet reflection. It commemorates the Great War alone, 1914–1918 – not, as is sometimes said, both World Wars.
The Design & Layout
Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, renowned for his classical memorial designs across Britain and beyond, was commissioned to shape the landscape. His vision centred on a sunken Rose Garden, where two circular flower beds form the subtle outline of a Celtic cross when viewed from above. At the heart of this enclosure sits the Stone of Remembrance, a seven-and-a-half-tonne block of Irish granite bearing the inscription: “To the memory of the 49,400 Irishmen who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918.”
Flanking the garden are four granite bookrooms, each dedicated to one of Ireland’s historic provinces. Inside, illuminated manuscripts by the celebrated stained-glass artist Harry Clarke list the names of the fallen. The bookrooms are accessible by prior arrangement, but their imposing stone façades can be admired freely from the lawns. At the northern boundary, a small domed temple frames an excerpt from Rupert Brooke’s “War Sonnet II: Safety,” grounding the memorial in literary tradition.
A Complex History
The road to the gardens’ creation was long and politically charged. Following the First World War, over 206,000 Irishmen had served in British forces. A trust fund established in July 1919 aimed to build a permanent, all-Ireland memorial. Initial proposals suggested urban locations like Merrion Square and St Stephen’s Green, but the project eventually settled on the Longmeadows Estates in Islandbridge.
Construction finally began in 1932 and, in a deliberate gesture, employed equal numbers of British and Irish ex-servicemen; the granite came from the Ballyknockan and Barnaculla quarries in the Dublin and Wicklow hills. Despite delays and political shifts, a completion certificate was issued in January 1938. The planned official opening in July 1939 was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second World War. The gardens remained undedicated until 10 September 1988, following a major restoration by the OPW. Today, the site hosts major state commemorations, including the annual Remembrance Sunday wreath-laying and the Battle of the Somme anniversary service.
Walking the Gardens
Visitors typically spend one to two hours exploring the grounds. The layout encourages a leisurely pace, with paved paths winding past Gertrude Jekyll-inspired herbaceous borders and avenues of Irish oak, lime, and ash. A riverside footpath follows the Liffey’s edge, offering views of the Creosote Stream as it meets the garden boundaries.
Seasonal changes dramatically alter the atmosphere. Late spring and early summer bring the roses into full bloom, while autumn turns the mature trees into a canopy of gold and russet. The gardens are dog-friendly on leads in the central lawn areas, though pets are not permitted in the rose beds or near the fountains. The OPW runs a free guided tour every Wednesday at 14:00 from April through October, meeting inside the car park gates at the South Circular Road entrance. One practical thing to know before you come: there are no public toilets on site and no café or kiosk, so it’s a place for a walk and a sit, not a long lingering afternoon with children.
Practical Information
- Opening Hours: Monday–Friday 08:00–dusk; Saturday–Sunday 10:00–dusk (gates close at daylight)
- Admission: Free
- Parking: Free on-site car park available
- Accessibility: Level paths and wheelchair-friendly routes throughout the main grounds; bookroom interiors require prior arrangement
- Public Transport: Several Dublin Bus routes serving the South Circular Road (including the 25, 26, and 68) stop within walking distance – check current timetables; the Luas Red Line (Heuston stop) is a short walk away
- Contact: Grounds +353 1 475 7816 | Tours +353 1 677 0095
- Website: Heritage Ireland – War Memorial Gardens
The gardens pair well with Kilmainham Gaol Museum and the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, both within a kilometre. If you want to see the Harry Clarke manuscripts themselves rather than just the bookrooms’ exteriors, you have to arrange access with the site management beforehand – turn up unannounced and you’ll see the granite, not the pages. Otherwise, come early on a weekday morning, when you’ll often have the rose garden to yourself.