A new park in Sligo brings together landscape, language and education.
The park is the brainchild of the outgoing director of Sligo Institute of Technology, Breandán MacConamhna. Laid out in eighteen groves, each one corresponds to a letter of the Irish language alphabet.
Eight thousand trees have been planted in eighteen groves of different species, each with its own limestone seat carved with a letter of the Irish alphabet.
Breandán MacConamhna explains that, for centuries, the Irish language was taught using the names of trees and shrubs. The concept draws on the writings of 18th-century Sligo scholar Canon Andrew Dunleavy, whose work helped inspire the project.
Details about the park are outlined in brochures printed in twenty-one different languages, reflecting the nationalities of those attending the Sligo Institute of Technology. While the park has been designed primarily for students and staff, it is also intended as a resource for the wider Sligo community.
Jimmy Devins, President of Sligo Institute of Technology, notes that the town is poorly served by public parks. He envisages the new space becoming a place of tranquillity for local people, offering a welcome refuge as Sligo town continues to expand.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 May 2001. The reporter is Eileen Magnier.
