Commemorative Bridge – Sod Turning Ceremony
Irish National War Memorial Gardens – 30 October 2025
On 30 October 2025, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD turned the sod at the construction site of the much-anticipated Commemorative Bridge in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, which will span the River Liffey in Islandbridge.
Facilitating cyclists and pedestrians, the Commemorative Bridge will link the Irish National War Memorial Gardens with the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park, which along with the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham Gaol and Collins Barracks, are key elements of Ireland’s Military Heritage and Military History, and, in time, could be collectively called Dublin’s “Military Quarter”.
In 1930, Sir Edwin Lutyens R.A. (1869–1944) original design and plan for the Irish National War Memorial Gardens included a connecting bridge, linking the Memorial with the Phoenix Park, along the central “Lutyens Axis” of the Great Cross, the War Stone, and the Temple. When the Commemoration Bridge is competed, a key element of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ original vision of the Memorial will be fully realised.
Having sponsored the construction of the Temple in 1993, the Irish National War Memorial Trust’s enduring ambition, and that of the Office of Public Works, remains the construction of a Commemorative Bridge across the River Liffey..
Since 2011, the Commemorative Bridge has been a specific objective of Dublin’s development plans.
In 2019, marking the 150th Anniversary of Sir Edwin Lutyens birth, the Office of Public Works held a design competition for the Commemorative Bridge. Sixty-one applicants from nine countries entered the competition.
Following the One Stage competition held by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the winning design was by Ian Richie Architects (London).
Having minimum adverse environmental impact, the Commemorative Bridge consists of a slender curved, single span bridge, of stainless steel, fifty-eight meters long, and has a structural depth of thirty-five cm at the centre of the span.
Commemorating those Irishmen who did not return home after the First World War, the pedestrian and cycle bridge features boot imprints pointing in the direction of the Irish National War Memorial Gardens
By creating a new landmark public space while offering a more majestic and accessible entrance to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, the Commemorative Bridge will enhance the experience for nearly half a million visitors each year to this symbolic site, which is dedicated to Irish soldiers from across the island of Ireland who fell in either the First World War, or the Second World War.
On 10 October 2024, Dublin City Council granted planning permission to the Commissioners of Public Works to construct a Commemorative Bridge across the River Liffey.
The Bridge is funded by the Office of Public Works and the National Transport Authority.
A tendering process was launched in May 2025. On 29 July the Office of Public Works contracted John Sick & Son Limited to construct the Commemorative Bridge.
Improving access to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens by means of a prominent Commemorative Bridge together with a designated formal entrance, will further promote the national and international significance of the Memorial, and offer international and domestic visitors a more rewarding commemorative, reflected and reconciliation experience.
Minister Kevin Moran TD with Trustees of the Irish National War Memorial Trust
Following the Ceremony, Minister Kevin Moran TD said:
“Here in one of the most famous memorial gardens in Europe, I am delighted to turn the sod and witness the commencement of the construction works on this long anticipated commemorative Bridge. This bridge when completed will provide a focal point joining many historic and heritage sites on both sides of the Liffey, while becoming a vital integral link in the city’s active travel infrastructure.”
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