Sir, – I spent the weekend in Dublin and visited the Garden of Remembrance. I had last seen it on television when it had been spruced up for the visit of Queen Elizabeth.
The spectacle I beheld was a stark contrast. Part of it was cordoned off for renovation works and looked like it had not been touched in a while. On entering the part that was open, there was a “No Smoking” sign, from which I was distracted by the whiff of cannabis, which was being openly puffed. There was an assortment of people, many sunbathing and drinking from beer cans, and enjoying the sunshine, as they might in the park. There was a group of French students having a historical tour amid a sea of discarded weather-beaten packaging and detritus, much of which was dispersed among the plants. The water in the pool looked green and neglected.
Should we rename it “The Forgotten Garden”? – Yours, etc,
DONAL FITZGERALD,
Mallow,
Co Cork.