Landscape Information
Situated in Rockefeller Park, this garden sits at the base of a sloped lawn south of the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive and East Boulevard. Dedicated in 1933 and completed in 1939, the space was one of several established in the Cultural Gardens during the 1930s. Designed by Donald Gray, the approximately 200-foot-long garden parallels the drive and is laid out in the pattern of a Celtic cross. Slate and sandstone walks frame a central turf panel edged by a raised stone curb. Stone benches line the outer perimeter of the walk, facing the central panel. Two stone walls retain the eastern hillside, creating an intimate, alcove-like space. Visitors are afforded borrowed views of a stone bridge that spans the drive.
A northern extension was completed in 2009, marking the garden’s 70th anniversary. The extension, comprised of two distinct circular spaces, is connected via a stone path that blends seamlessly with Gray’s design and material palette. Shaded by mature deciduous trees including maple, oak, and sweet gum, the garden is ornamented by an understory of small flowering trees, naturalistic shrubs, and perennials. The site includes commemorative stone monuments throughout that honors Irish composers and writers as well as a granite water feature, a replica of a fountain in St. Patrick’s Park, Dublin. A stone path connecting East Boulevard and MLK., Jr., Drive passes through the garden.
The garden is supported by the Irish Garden Club and is a contributing feature of the Rockefeller Park and Cleveland Cultural Gardens Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
