Dublin Garden Squares Day

Dublin Civic Trust is running its annual Dublin Garden Squares Day - now in its eighth year - on Saturday 10th June.

Enjoy free expert walking tours of Dublin’s five main Georgian squares and associated parks and gardens in this annual staple event.

Discover the history of these magnificent urban gardens, their plants and wildlife, the people who once used them and the historic buildings that embrace them.

Tours take place all day on a first-come basis, no booking is required and all events are free.

TOUR PROGRAMME 

10.30am
Merrion Square – Evolution and Design Significance
Geraldine Walsh, Chief Executive Officer, Dublin Civic Trust
Meeting Point: Oscar Wilde Statue, inside the railings

10.30am
Mountjoy Square – Dublin’s ‘True’ Georgian Square
Karin O’Flanagan, Resident and Secretary of Mountjoy Square Society
Meeting Point: Steps of 54 Mountjoy Square West

12.00pm & 1.00pm
Fitzwilliam Square – Dublin’s Pocket Square
Graham Hickey, Conservation Director, Dublin Civic Trust
Meeting Point: Dublin Bikes station on the Pembroke Street side
Directly followed at 1.00pm by a short tour of Fitzwilliam Square's private central garden with Rebecca Jeffares, Landscape Historian

11.00am - 4.00pm
Take a rare opportunity to enjoy free access all day to Fitzwilliam Square's private central garden 
Also traditional lawn bowling with Anne O’Herlihy from 1.00pm
Complemented with musical entertainment

2.15pm & 3.30pm
Natural History Museum, Merrion Square 
‘Zoo in my Garden’ children’s tours with Catherine McGuinness, exploring critters in your garden!

2.30pm
Parnell Square – Dublin’s First Georgian Square
James Kelly, Conservation Architect & Chairman, Dublin Civic Trust
Meeting Point: Gates to the Garden of Remembrance

3.00pm
St. Stephen’s Green – From Dublin's Renaissance to Victoriana
John McCullen, former Park Superindendent, OPW
Meeting Point: Fusiliers’ Arch at the top of Grafton Street

MOUNTJOY SQUARE EVENTS
To mark recent improvements to Mountjoy Square, including clearance of fencing and vegetation that allows sweeping views of the square for the first time in decades, we have arranged music and children's events right in the heart of Mountjoy Square Park.

Take the opportunity to have a look at the ongoing pioneering restoration of the square's original wrought-iron railings, now largely complete on the south-west corner.

12.30pm
Rousing music with the Blanchardstown Brass Band

2.00pm
Art in the Park with artist Jo Callanan
Meet at the hard surface football area

2.30pm
Afro-Eire rhythm music

3.00pm
Nature Detectives with Sara Rublaca
Meet at the hard surface football area

3.30pm
Green Fingers - planting workshop for children