The Garden of Remembrance

The Garden of Remembrance is a recent addition to All Saints’.  It is a peaceful place where people can sit and remember loved ones. For some years the parish had been running regular car boot sales to raise money for the restoration of the church roof. In 2012 the fundraising target was reached, and at that point it was agreed to continue the sales in order to fund this garden. The seats and cross were made in Ballyknockan using stone from the same quarry that had supplied the granite for the walls of the church more than a century earlier. The cross is a smaller version of the Hayes cross that stands in the village. This commemorates Marie Elizabeth Hayes, daughter of Canon Hayes the first rector of All Saints’; she was one of the first women in Ireland to qualify as a medical doctor and she died as a missionary in India in 1908 at the age of only 33. The garden was officially opened with an outdoor service in the spring of 2014. It brings together many of the features that are so special about All Saints’: its exceptional architectural coherence, its links to the history of Raheny, its importance for the families who live here, and most of all its beauty and tranquillity, as a place dedicated to God. 

We hope you have enjoyed this tour and historical introduction to All Saints’ Raheny. We would be delighted if you would like to join us one Sunday; everyone is welcome, of any Christian denomination or none. The rector, the Rev. Kevin Ronné, is available for pastoral care and can be contacted through the Parish Office on 01 851 2459. Finally, the cost of maintaining this beautiful church is met entirely through donations and fundraising and we would be extremely grateful for any contribution you can make. The QR code that links to our online donation page is on a table at the back of the church, or you can go through the parish website. Thankyou for listening and we hope to see you again at All Saints’.