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.
Iveagh Gardens has been awarded a Green flag 2022-2023 which is an international bench marking standard for parks and green spaces.
Designed by Ninian Niven in 1865, but with a history dating back over three hundred years, the Iveagh Gardens are located close to St Stephen’s Green Park in Dublin city centre. From modest beginnings as an earl’s lawn, the gardens went on to host the splendour of the Dublin Exhibition Palace in 1865. Many of the original landscape features are still in place, or have been restored and conserved since 1995. These include the yew maze, the rosarium, and the fountains. The cascade in particular is a stunning spectacle in summer. Iveagh Gardens are popularly known as Dublin’s ‘Secret Garden’.
Even thought this statue was erected in 1955 rather than 1954 I assume that it is a Marian Statue.
I went on a walking tour about twenty years ago and the tour guide claimed that Oscar Square and the associated streets was named in honour of Oscar Wilde. However, the reality is that Oscar Square is not named after Oscar Wilde, but rather Oscar, son of Oisín of Na Fianna. Nearby, Clarence Mangan Road was named in honour of the poet, and O’Carolan Road for the harpist.
A friend of mine lived in the area and claimed that there was once a World War II bomb shelter in the small public park but that the park may not have been a public park back then. In December 2020 A local lady told me that when she was young it was known as Rosary Park, and it was always closed to the public except on Sundays, but it is now known as Oscar Square Park even though it is not square [there was also a joke that I cannot include here]. I checked a few maps and it looks square to me but I did come across an account that described it as a triangle.
PHOTOGRAPHED 28 OCTOBER 2022 PUBLISHED 28 JUNE 2023
I purchased a Sony FX30 as soon as it became available but when I first used it I discovered that the RAW files could not be processed and had to wait for months for updates to Lightroom and Photoshop. I did find some work-arounds but the work-flow was complicated and tedious and the result was not always consistent or usable. I am now in the process of reviewing images from October 2022.
St Stephen’s Green Park is a historical park and garden, located in the centre of Dublin city. Cared for by the Office of Public Works, the park is an important public resource in the area, and provides an oasis of green calm in the middle of a bustling city. Its four centuries of history are eventful and complex, involving such important figures as Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, and Countess Constance Markievicz. The park itself hosts a large number of important sculptural monuments to Irish history. Many species of birds and plants also call the park their home. Public facilities at St Stephen’s Green Park include a playground and a garden for the visually impaired.
I cannot find any information relating to this sculpture near the main entrance to the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. This sculpture is on permanent display and I have photographed it a number of times because I like it.