Serenity Garden now open to help celebrate the lives of loved ones

A SERENITY Garden has been launched by members of a sports club to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have died and recognise the community that built the club.

St Jude’s GAA club has created the special garden for the club and the surrounding Templeogue community to reflect and spend some time in peace remembering loved ones who have died.

Dublin GAA CEO John Costello officially opened the new pocket garden with a dedication from Fr Brendan Madden, parish priest of St Jude the Apostle Church, in a ceremony on Sunday, September 17.

“The new Serenity Garden was designed as a place for the whole community to reflect, and spend some time in peace remembering friends who have passed on,” Anthony Gilleran, St Jude’s GAA chairperson said.

“The garden will become another place in our community where everyone can celebrate the lives of our loved ones who are no longer with us. It is our way of saying ‘you will never be forgotten.’

“The garden acknowledges that we are all part of a community – people who come together to build something special.

“We have built a sports club of grass and bricks and mortar, but at the heart of this are people.

“People who have built a club, but also built deep relationships and friendships. People who have built a safe place for children to grow, and for adults to play.”

Inspired by the idea of “it takes a village to raise a child”, the Serenity Garden depicts an older adult holding the hand of a young child, along with hurlers, camogie and football players.

There is also an inscription on a plaque at the garden which utilises words from the Alex MacLean poem, Grave Situation.

Designed by architect Joe Fallon, the garden once again brought people together who offered up their time during the construction phase to create a space to be treasured for generations.

During the day, the area is bright but sheltered from the breeze and after dark, subtle lighting decorates the memorial.

An Acer Palmatum tree, also known as the Japanese Maple, was donated by Blossom Landscapes for the garden for its hand-shaped leaves representing nurture and as a symbol of regeneration.

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