In Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square, the Children of Lir sculpture depicts four figures transforming into swans from an Irish myth. Sculptor Oisín Kelly made the work to commemorate Irish freedom fighters, linking the legend’s return to human form with Ireland’s rebirth. Walk around the sculpture to take in its intricate shapes, then read the plaque beside it for the artwork’s memorial text. The garden provides a quiet place to pause amid the city, and the sculpture is free to view.
The myth behind the sculpture
The sculpture draws on the Irish legend of the Children of Lir, a story in which four children are changed into swans by their stepmother. They remain swans for 900 years before regaining human form. The work captures their transformation, bringing a figure from Irish mythology into the Garden of Remembrance.
The children’s return to human form has also been read as an allegory for Ireland’s rebirth after English occupation. That symbolism connects the mythical story to the garden’s purpose as a place of remembrance for Irish freedom fighters.
A memorial in the Garden of Remembrance
Dublin City Architect Dáithí P. Hanly commissioned sculptor Oisín Kelly to create the work for the garden. It was unveiled on Easter Monday in 1966. Its use of a pagan legend in a public park drew criticism at the time.
A plaque beside the sculpture carries a memorial text about a vision of freedom, ending with an appeal to future generations to remember those who came before. Take a moment to read it alongside the sculpture; the words give further context to its place in the garden.
Perguntas frequentes
Is the Children of Lir sculpture free to visit?
Yes. The sculpture is free to view in the Garden of Remembrance.
Where is the Children of Lir sculpture?
It is in the Garden of Remembrance at Parnell Square in Dublin.
Is the sculpture accessible by wheelchair?
It can be reached by wheelchair via the park’s lift.
