2. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1800 31st August, 1801 – Charles McDaniel, of the
Circular Road, is given the contract to level the
square for which he is to receive £56 17s 6d on
completion of the work within eight weeks
25th November, 1801 – Petition read in the
House of Commons suggesting that the square,
which at that time was “nearly enclosed by a
stone curb”, should be ornamented, enclosed
with a railing and improved
27th November, 1801 – It is found that there are
no funds to meet above expenses, but that the
residents have o ered to defray the cost of the
railings, by means of a rate upon themselves
30th April, 1802 – Mountjoy Square appears as a
patch of wasteland and hillocks surrounded on
three sides by stone-base work and curbs
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
3. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1802 – Design for the park interior accepted by the commissioners is by a Mr.
John Sutherland
1803 – All work on the square is completed by March 1803, except for planting
due to budgeting problems. The park is rented for a season to grow
potatoes
1805 June, 1805 – One hundred keys were made to fit the locks on the gates.
The residents of Mountjoy Square were given one key per household.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
4. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1830
1832 - The square was opened up to residents living on roads adjoining the
square
1835 – Gardeners directed by commissioners to “prevent the young gentlemen
who frequent the square from playing at football, hurl or prisoner’s bar or any
other game tending to injure the grass plot”
1835 – At this stage there were no seats within the park. The treasurer at the time
ordered four seats, four chairs and a military marquee to be installed within the
park
1836 – Grounds were opened to the general public, with an admission fee being
paid
1836 – Military bands began to perform every Monday and Thursday during the
summer from 3:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon
1837 – The ash tree which had been a centre piece in the park was moved to
shrubbery in a corner of the park. In original plans for the park it had been
planned to have a new church at the centre of the park for the St. George’s parish
but it was decided that an ash tree would stand in the centre of the park
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
5. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1850
1852 - £15 spent by commission to drain the park
1860
1866 – The game of croquet is introduced to the square.
That same summer young boys living in the vicinity
of the square are permitted to hold foot races
1869 – Race competitions in the park are discontinued
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
6. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1880
May, 1881 - Lawn tennis permited to be played under certain conditions.
1884 - Subscribers list re-opens for the reintroduction of band preformances in the
park.
1895 Talks and debates take place on whether to make the park public or keep it
private
1899 – Dublin Council begins attempts to have Mountjoy Square released for public
use
1905 14th May. 1906 – Mr. M. J. McNulty is appointed commissioner. McNulty
becomes honorary treasurer and secretary. He takes over complete
management of the park as a hobby
1906 Mr. McNulty is responsible for the building of a greenhouse and flower frames.
In the early 1900s the greenhouse flourished as a tuck shop and ice-cream
parlour. A pavilion and a child welfare centre are later constructed on the site
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
7. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1920
1922 – Abercrombie’s plan for Dublin proposes the
redevelopment and transformation of Mountjoy
Square Park into an amusement park. The plans
are never realised
23rd March, 1924 – A public meeting of the residents
in the area of the square is held to discuss its
immediate opening to the public.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
8. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1925 The next five years witness the
introduction of hard courts and the
construction of a new tennis pavilion in
1927. At this time Mountjoy Tennis Club
takes its place as the foremost in the
north side of the city
1930 April, 1933 – Dublin Corporation
make direct requests to the commission
that half of the square be handed over
for the construction of a public
playground
1935 23rd March, 1938 – The new
corporation act acquires Mountjoy
Square on behalf of the citizens of Dublin
and takes over full maintenance of the
park
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
9. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1940
1940 – Day Nursery is set up in the park to cater for women working
during the war
1945 An air-raid shelter was built in the park at the start of the war. It is
told that on the night bombing occurred local residents flocked to it
but the key holder had gone to the cinema in O’Connell Street
1947 – Dublin Corporation converts the southeast corner of the square into
a playground
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
10. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
1990
1990 The park is re-
developed in 1990
with the guidance of
the city’s
horticulturalist, Dr.
Christy Boylan. The
pathways are
resurfaced and
flowering shrubs are
introduced in place of
decaying trees
1992 Uinseann MacEoin
proposes park
restoration
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
12. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Opening Times
December – January 5.00pm
February 5.30pm
March 6.30pm
April 7.30pm
May 8.30pm
June – July 10.00pm
August 9.30pm
September 8.30pm
October 7.30pm
November 5.30pm
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
13. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
• Unique as the only square Square in Dublin, each of
its sides being exactly 140 metres in length.
• Up until 1938, the park was owned and maintained
by the residents of Mountjoy Square.
• Since 1938 the Park is run and managed by Dublin
City Council.
• Secured €250,000 for restoration of the railings.
The only original railings remaining around a Dublin
square.
• There is currently no charter on Mountjoy Square
Park.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
14. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
The park is used by a variety of people. Local
residents come to the park to use its hard
courts which include a football pitch, tennis
courts, two basketball courts, one open and
one enclosed. The grounds also have a
permanent table tennis table. The park has a
day nursery and community centre on site. A
large playground attracts young children and
well maintained grass
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
18. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Park, North elevation
Park, South elevation
Park, East elevation
Park, West elevation
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
19. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Park Facilities
• 5-aside all weather football
pitch
• Band performances
• Leisure Walks
• Playground
• Tennis
• Basketball court
• Community centre
• Daycare
• Croke Park related events
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
20. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Playground
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
21. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
St. Brigid’s Day Nursery
• Founded in the 1940’s
• To free up the women of the area so they could work
and help in the war e ort.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
22. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
St. Brigid’s Day Nursery
• Original building remains with a small extension
at the rear added in the 1990’s.
• The Nursery is a Limited Company and is
funded by the HSE.
• Special services: Speech and language clinic
every Monday
• Children referred by social workers, The Mater,
public health nurses, family support workers
and self referral by families themselves.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
23. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
St. Brigid’s Day Nursery Catchment
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
24. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Community Centre
• CASPr
Community After Schools
Project, run by North Inner City
Drugs Task Force (NICDTF).
Predominantly to service
Gardiner’s Street Primary and
O’Connell Street School.
Trips and Summer Camps
• NCCCAP
North City Centre Community
Action Plan.
Tennis lessons.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
25. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
NICDTF Catchment
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
26. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Lamp Posts
There are two di erent
designs of street lamps on
the square. Those in front
of the houses are of the
style called The Scotch
Standard, from 1903-1920.
On the park side of the
street, are more modest,
consistent with a more
recent 1940-1950 design
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
27. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Benches
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
28. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Waste
The South West corner of the Park,
formally public toilets is now a
compost heap. All the chippings
from parks all over Dublin are
brought here to decompose.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
29. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Tree Species
• In 1990, decaying trees
within the park were felled
and replaced with flower
beds and shrubs.
• Sycamore is the
predominant tree species.
• Other species that feature in
the park are:
Horse chestnut
Beech
Alder
Oak
Weeping Ash
Rowan
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
30. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Biodiversity
• The meager variety of
vegetation and flowers
beds, may account for the
lack of birds. Several pairs
of Blackbirds live here, robin
and sparrow have also been
seen. Black headed gulls
and Starlings are also know
to visit, (Moriarty, C. 1997)
• The compost heap would
probably increase the insect
biodiversity and may attract
small mammals.
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
31. MOUNTJOY SQUARE PARK
Art
• Mosaic by The
Traveller Cultural
Heritage Centre at
Pavee Point. This
mosaic depicts the
life of the travelling
community. Horses,
caravans, and the
roads they travel.
• Sundial. Ulysses,
Chapter 10, The
Wandering Rocks??
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan
32. Bibliography
Bowers, Moira.(1999) Dublin city parks & gardens. Dublin : Lilliput Press.
Dublin County Council (2001) The parks of County Dublin . Dublin County Council, Parks Department,
National Council for Educational Awards. (1991) Gardiners' Dublin : a history and topography of Mountjoy Square and environs.
Dublin : NCEA.
Moriarty, C. (1997) Exploring Dublin : wildlife, parks, waterways. Dublin, Ireland : Wolfhound Press.
O cial Publications, Oireachtas Dail (1938). Report of the Select Committee on the Mountjoy Square, Dublin, Bill, 1938 Ireland.
Oireachtas. Dáil.
South Dublin County Council. Parks and Landscape Services Department. (2000) Guidelines for open space development and
taking-in-charge. South Dublin County Council, Parks and Landscape Services Department.
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountjoy_Square
http://www.nicdtf.ie/PROJECTS/PROJECTS/COMMUNITY_AFTER_SCHOOLS_PROJECT_(CASPr).html
http://www.ncccap.ie/
http://www.dublincity.ie/RECREATIONANDCULTURE/DUBLINCITYPARKS/VISITAPARK/Pages/MountjoySquarePark.aspx
http://www.dublincity.ie/RecreationandCulture/DublinCityParks/Pages/TreesintheCity.aspx
http://www.dublincity.ie/RecreationandCulture/DublinCityParks/Pages/ParksOpeningTimes.aspx
Group 12: Cillian Magee, Ciara Grace, Timothy Brick, Luke O’Callaghan