Please be aware that these photographs were taken on the 16th April 2016 and that the circle has been restored but the water feature has been infilled. I plan to publish more recent photographs later in July or August [2023].
Back in 2015 I was getting more than worried about the future of the “follies” in St. Anne’s park as most, if not all of them were in very poor condition.
When I visited in April 2016 there was still a basin at the Park, minus its central statue however the hedges were no longer in an overgrown state.
An account from 1873 (W. Heale, 1873) describes the yew circle in detail: “On the east side of this [Dutch style flower] garden is an amphitheatre some 150 feet in circumference; the outer portion is a well-kept Yew hedge with five entrances; equidistant from each entrance are four marble statues representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America; Australia is not yet represented. The centre is a costly marble basin with fountain and stocked with gold and silver fish.‟
In a quarter of the walled garden was a circular yew hedge with alcoves and arches in which stood allegorical Italian statues representing the five continents. These statues were reflected in the great circular marble basin which occupied the centre (Malins and Bowe, 1980). The 1939 auction catalogue included these statues: “Lot 1471 – 4 carved stone figures representing the continents, on square bases with carved mouldings‟ (Adam, 1939).
The description below refers to the Yew Circle as it was prior to my visit in April as it was anything but overgrown when I had visited in April of that year. The yew trees had been cut back to what appeared to be to an extreme degree.
The Yew Circle at St Anne’s Park in Dublin was created in the 1830s by Benjamin Lee Guinness, a member of the famous brewing family. The circle is made up of a circular yew hedge that was originally planted with five alcoves, each of which contained an Italian statue representing one of the five continents. In the centre of the circle was a fountain, which is now no longer extant.
The Yew Circle was part of the formal gardens that were once located at St Anne’s House, the Guinness family’s mansion on the site. The gardens were designed in the Italianate style, and they included a number of other follies, such as a Roman-style viewing tower and a cast-iron floral temple.
The Yew Circle fell into disrepair after St Anne’s House was demolished in 1939. However, it was restored in the 1980s, and it is now one of the most popular attractions in St Anne’s Park. The circle is still overgrown, but the five alcoves and the fountain base are still visible.
The Yew Circle is a fascinating example of 19th-century garden design. It is a reminder of the time when St Anne’s House was a grand estate, and it is a popular spot for visitors to the park today.
Here are some additional details [that no longer apply] about the Yew Circle:
The yew hedge is about 100 feet in diameter. The five alcoves are each about 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The fountain base is about 10 feet in diameter. The statues in the alcoves represent the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia. The Yew Circle is located in the northeastern part of St Anne’s Park.
I had problems with my camera and after travelling all the way to check on this tree carving by Tommy Craggs all my photographs were blurred or not properly focused. I plan to revisit later in the month. In the meanwhile I will upload/publish of the carving while it was a work in progress back in April 2016.
[MONDAY JUNE 22 2020] Local representatives and Dublin’s lord mayor have condemned “an attack” on the Tree of Life sculpture beside St Anne’s Park in Raheny, which is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Monday morning. Gardaí say they are carrying out enquiries after the sculpture was set alight.
The tree carving in my photographs is located at the north east corner of St Anne’s Park, Raheny, where Clontarf Road and Watermill Road meet. It is a 10-metre tall Monterey cypress tree that was once dying. In 2018, Dublin City Council decided that the tree had to be taken down for safety reasons. However, before it was felled, artist Tommy Craggs was commissioned to carve a series of wildlife sculptures into the tree. The sculptures depict a variety of animals, including foxes, badgers, squirrels, and birds.
The tree carving has become known as the “Peace Tree” or the “Tree of Life.” It is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike, and it is a reminder of the power of art to transform even the most unlikely of materials.
Here are some additional details about the tree carving:
The project was funded by Dublin City Council and the Raheny Residents’ Association. Craggs worked on the tree for over two months, using a chainsaw and chisels. The sculptures are made from the tree’s own wood, and they are all different sizes. The tree carving was officially unveiled in December 2018.
Chainsaw sculptor Tommy Craggs recycles fallen trees or trees felled for tree management reasons. Some of his works can be purchased but others are permanent installations carved from stumps. Tommy’s work made the news in 2012 when members of the public reported that a “guerrilla sculptor” had carved three stumps in a forest in the UK. They were, in fact, commissioned sculptures created by Tommy Craggs.