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| Ireland Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Toronto skyline seen from the park | |
  Location of the park in Toronto | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°38′04.5″N79°23′45″W / 43.634583°N 79.39583°W /43.634583; -79.39583 |
| Created | June 21, 2007 (2007-06-21) |
| Operated by | Toronto Parks |
Ireland Park is located on the shores ofLake Ontario on Éireann Quay, adjoining theCanada Malting Silos, at the foot ofBathurst Street inToronto,Ontario, Canada. Officially opened in the summer of 2007, Ireland Park commemorates the tens of thousands who fledIreland during theGreat Famine. In 1847, over 38,000 Irish men, women, and children landed at Rees's Wharf on the shores of Toronto, fleeing famine and eager to start a new life. Although Toronto only had approximately 20,000 residents at the time, the city welcomed the newcomers with open arms. Over 1,100 new immigrants did not survive to make Canada their new home, with many perishing infever sheds during theTyphus epidemic of 1847. Ireland Park is a tribute to all theIrish ancestors who came with only hope, for a new life in a promising country.
The park was designed by Toronto ArchitectJonathan Kearns, who is an Irish immigrant himself. He designed it to be an emotional and evocative place calling up long-lost memories of destitute ancestors who arrived inCanada fromIreland with hopes for a new life in a new land. The park features oak trees, a cylinder of stacked glass that serves as a beacon of hope, and five bronze sculptures created by renowned Irish sculptorRowan Gillespie.[1] The sculptures mirror a similarFamine Memorial inDublin at the Custom House Quays. The figures in Dublin representThe Departure, with Toronto's sculptures representingThe Arrival. TheHamilton Spectator described the work as follows:
"The early immigrants are now honoured at the Toronto waterfront park by five haunting bronze statues created by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie...One figure depicts a man lying on the ground, emaciated; another shows a pregnant woman clutching her bulging stomach, while behind her a meek child stands wide-eyed. One frail figure is bent over with hands clasped in prayer, contrasted by a man whose arms are extended to the sky in salvation."[2]
The park also features an imposing wall made exclusively oflimestone imported fromKilkenny with the names of those who died in 1847. The wall includes many of Toronto's citizens who gave their life to the Irish cause, includingBishop Michael Power.[3]
The park was officially opened during a ceremony on June 21, 2007, which featured thePresident of Ireland,Mary McAleese, Ontario PremierDalton McGuinty, Federal Finance MinisterJim Flaherty, Toronto MayorDavid Miller, and the Chairman of the Ireland Park Foundation, Robert Kearns. Mary McAleese described the park as "a memorial that links Ireland and Canada in a very, very powerful way, and brings that story right into the 21st century."[4]
In 2009, a film entitledDeath or Canada featured Ireland Park and the dark story of 1847 and how it impacted the young city of Toronto. The Chairman of Ireland Park, Robert Kearns, is a featured contributor.[5]
Media related toIreland Park at Wikimedia Commons