The Irish Georgian Society has said it "strongly disagrees" with the proposals made by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to build a commemoration to the victims of institutional abuse in the Garden of Remembrance.
The OPW proposal includes a covered walkway connecting a new hard and soft landscaped civic area at the western end of the Parnell site and also plans to incorporate seating, water installations, feature lighting, and sculptured elements.
In a letter written to the Dublin City Council, the Irish Georgian Society have objected to the proposal on the grounds that it “gives no regard” to plans for the "proper and sensitive" development of Parnell Square, which they believe to be "one of the finest of Dublin's 18th-century urban set-pieces” with the potential to "become a catalyst for regeneration in the city's north Georgian core," the Herald reveals.
The memorial, which is "subterranean", would provide a "dank, unsafe space which will attract anti-social behaviour", said group conservation manager Emmeline Henderson, the Herald reports.
Independent councillors, Mannix Flynn and Nial Ring, have also objected to the plans, believing the development would detract from the Garden's original purpose.
The Gardens, which were planned and erected in the 1960s, were built in honor of all those who died in pursuit of Irish freedom. It was here, in 2011, that Queen Elizabeth II with Mary Robinson, laid wreaths in remembrance of those who had died. The new proposal would commemorate those children who have suffered abuse at the hands of religious orders.
Council planners are due to decide on the proposal in the next few days.