Dublin City Councillor, Mary O’Shea, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin, will officially open the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Garden at the 2011 Bloom Festival in Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Thursday, 2nd June, at 10.30am in the company of Dublin poet, Enda Wyley.
‘River Run’, designed by Maryann Harris of Dublin City Council’s Parks and Landscape Services, celebrates the designation by UNESCO, of Dublin, as a City of Literature. Some fragments of salvaged stone from Dublin’s old city street’s walked upon by our ancestors, are reused in the garden. The river which flows through Dublin’s heart and which inspires Dublin’s literature, takes a journey through it, reappearing in a majestic sculptural piece by Leo Higgins.
The text in the garden includes quotations from Irish authors which relate to the themes of the garden. What makes a good story also makes a good garden. It is memorable, and has a narrative. It is a journey with unexpected twists and turns – an intriguing plot. Dublin poets Gabriel Rosenstock, Enda Wyley, Anne Leahy, Tony Curtis and Maighread Medhbh will read some of their work each day at the garden.
“This truly poetic garden is symbolic of Dublin’s ability to reinvent itself time and time again, constantly striving to produce inspiring stories. Dublin’s creativity, like River Run, is still flowing strongly today” said Councillor O’Shea.
Dublin joins Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa city as a City of Literature. The designation is permanent and acknowledges Dublin’s literary heritage and culture. Dublin, a city known for its wonderful calendar of festival, reading events, lectures and recitals takes its place among the literary capitals of the world.
