The Garden of Remembrance () is a memorial garden in Dublin dedicated to the memory of "all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom". It is located in the northern fifth of the former Rotunda Gardens in Parnell Square, a Georgian square at the northern end of O'Connell Street. The garden was opened by President Eamon de Valera during the semicentennial of the Easter Rising in 1966.
History
thumb|Children of Lir Monument by Oisin Kelly at the [[Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry, Florence, Italy]]
thumb|150px|right|[[Children of Lir sculpture]]
The site of the Garden is where the Irish Volunteers were founded in 1913, and where several leaders of the 1916 Rising were held overnight before being taken to Kilmainham Gaol.
World War II and the use of the site to erect a temporary paediatric unit during a period of increased infant mortality in the 1940s delayed the construction of the garden. During this time, the site was also considered for the construction of a new national concert hall. The Office of Public Works launched a competition for a garden of remembrance proposal in January 1946. In December 1950, it was announced that architect, Dáithi Hanly, has been selected as the designer. Final costs of £30,000 were approved, and following design revisions and tendering, construction began in February 1961.
Design
The garden is in the form of a sunken cruciform water-feature, constructed by John Sisk to Hanley's revised designs. The water feature is lined with tile mosaics with designs featuring spears, shields, and swords. Hanley had originally included space for a sculpture, but had intended for it to be of Éire.