Out of Town: Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens, Tramore

 

Less than an hour and a half's drive south of Kilcullen are some Japanese-themed gardens that look and feel as if they have been there for hundreds of years, writes Brian Byrne. But they were only opened in 2015.

The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens in Tramore, Co Waterford, were built to commemorate the life and works of Hearn, born on the island of Lefkada in 1850 to a Greek mother and Irish military father. He spent an extraordinary life across three continents, including childhood summers in Tramore. A journalist in America, and a translator of French classics, he eventually became a Japanese citizen and lived out his days in that country as a writer and university lecturer.

The idea for the gardens came in 2012 when Professor Bon Koizumi, great grandson of Hearn, came to Tramore with his wife Shoko to retrace the steps of his famous ancestor. A visit to the grounds of Tramore House led to the concept of developing a memorial garden there.

On our visit recently, there were performances as part of Tramore's inaugural Festival of Legend & Lore,  of music by the Duo Frizzante — Cathy Desmond on violin and Marian Ingoldsby on piano — with stories and poetry read by Keith Guinan and Stan Phillips. Clips from these accompany my images in the short Rough & Ready Production above.

The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens are a community-run not for profit social enterprise. They are well worth a visit.

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