Iveagh Gardens

The Iveagh Gardens is a public park located between Clonmel Street and Upper Hatch Street, near the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. It is designated as a National Historic Property. The gardens are almost completely surrounded by buildings making them less noticeable and a little hard to find, unlike other green spaces in Dublin. This makes them one of Dublin's hidden gems.HistoryThe site of the gardens was shown in 1756 as Leeson's Fields after Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown.Clonmell LawnsIn the late 18th century Lord Milltown leased the land to John Hatch, the principal developer of Harcourt and Hatch Streets. Hatch sold it to The 1st Earl of Clonmell (also known as "Copper-Faced Jack") as his private gardens. The gardens then became known as "Clonmell Lawns" Located on Harcourt Street is Clonmell House that faces on to Clonmell Street which leads into the Iveagh Gardens. A subterranean passage brought the Earl from his house to the gardens without him having to walk over the street. The Wide Streets Commission had planned for Clonmell Street to run through what is now the gardens thereby linking Harcourt Street to the then newly constructed Earlsfort Terrace. However, this passage was not located during archaeological monitoring conducted during the construction of the LUAS.Coburg GardensWhen the 1st Earl died in 1798, his son the 2nd Earl inherited the estate including Clonmell Gardens. The estate was sold in 1810 and the gardens were opened for public use around 1817 and renamed "Coburg Gardens" after the royal family of Saxe-Coburg. Entrance to the park was from the South Side of St Stephen's Green, the "Royal Horse Bazaar".