My Visit To The Garden Of Remembrance And My First Opportunity To Use The Sony A7RVI

My Visit To The Garden Of Remembrance And My First Opportunity To Use The Sony A7RVI With The 100mm Macro Lens

The May-June Bank Holiday is in the past so I thought that I could begin my real 2026 street photography season using a Sony A7RVI - the GEO tagging is now working and I have two 580G CFexpress Type A cards which cost a fortune but I am limited to one battery. As soon as I left my apartment it began to rain so I remained within the city center ... this is getting annoying!

• The Garden of Remembrance in Dublin is a dedicated memorial space that honours all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom. Opened in 1966 on the semi-centennial of the Easter Rising, its location at Parnell Square is highly symbolic, as it is the exact site where the Irish Volunteers were founded in 1913. The design of the garden, created by architect Daithí Hanly, is built in the shape of a sunken cross, featuring a large cruciform pool at its heart.

• The undisputed focal point of the garden is the magnificent bronze sculpture of the Children of Lir, crafted by Oisín Kelly and added to the site in 1971. This artwork depicts the famous Irish mythological tale where the four children of King Lir are transformed into swans by their jealous stepmother, cursed to spend 900 years wandering before finally returning to human form as Christianity arrives in Ireland. The sculpture beautifully symbolises rebirth, resurrection, and the struggle for freedom, with the figures transitioning from humans into powerful, wings-spread swans.

A personal observation about how the garden is perceived, research indicate that my intuition is actually quite accurate, though there is nuance to how both visitors and locals interact with it.

Visitor vs. Local Perceptions

Visitors' Experience

• Reviewers and international tourists often approach the garden as a profound cultural and artistic landmark. For travellers, it offers a peaceful sanctuary just steps away from the bustling thoroughfare of O'Connell Street. Visitors frequently express immense appreciation for the striking artistry of the Children of Lir sculpture, noting its dramatic scale and emotional resonance. Because tourists are often exploring Dublin's revolutionary history through nearby sites like the GPO, the garden serves as a poignant, contemplative conclusion to their historical itinerary.

• Artistic Appreciation: Tourists heavily focus on the visual beauty of the bronze sculpture and the intricate mosaic tilework at the bottom of the pool.

• Quiet Sanctuary: Visitors praise the tranquil atmosphere, viewing it as an oasis of calm to rest and reflect amidst a busy day of sightseeing.

Locals' Experience

• For Dubliners, the relationship with the garden is much more integrated into daily urban life, which can sometimes make it appear less "appreciated" in a tourist sense. Locals certainly respect its historical weight—it remains the focal point for official state ceremonies, such as the National Day of Commemoration—but on an ordinary day, it functions primarily as a public city square. Furthermore, because Parnell Square has historically faced challenges associated with inner-city urban decay and social issues, some locals view the immediate surrounding area with a degree of caution rather than romanticism.

• Functional Space: Locals often utilise the benches for a quick lunch break, a place to read, or simply as a thoroughfare whilst walking across the north side of the city.

• Familiarity: The profound symbolism of the Children of Lir is something Dubliners grow up knowing, meaning they are less likely to stand and marvel at it compared to someone seeing it for the first time. Would you like to know more about the historical events commemorated here, or perhaps explore other significant sculptures and monuments located nearby in Dublin?