Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens in Tramore, Ireland

The lesser-known of just two Japanese Gardens in Ireland, the Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens are an enchanting homage to a remarkable writer, traveler and man of the world, and a tranquil place of great curation and beauty. 

His relative anonymity is reflected in the location of the garden, tucked away behind a high stone wall on a quiet side-street in Tramore. Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was of Irish-Greek descent, spending his childhood summers in this seaside town, before making a name for himself as a journalist and travel writer in the States. He was lauded as both an engaging storyteller, and an astute chronicler of place and society. While he remains relatively unknown in Ireland, he is still widely celebrated in his adopted country of Japan.

Described as his ‘living biography’, the series of eleven small interconnected gardens are diverse and beautiful, each one representing a different aspect of his life, work and travels. The suggested route starts at the Victorian Garden, a nod to his happy childhood summers in Tramore.

 A winding path takes visitors through his American Journey and onto the amphitheatre-shaped Greek Garden, commemorating his place of birth. A 100 year old olive tree stands at its heart. From this point on, visitors are firmly in Japanese territory, with burbling rockeries and water features, a traditional tea house and garden, and a wooden bridge across a stream, surrounded by woodland.

Moving to Japan had been the turning point in his life: a place where he remained for the rest of his days. As well as lecturing at the University of Tokyo, he received great acclaim for his collections of Japanese ghost stories and supernatural folk tales. He became loved and respected in his adopted country, and there’s even a museum dedicated to him in the city of Matsue. 

Towards the end of the gardens is the pièce de résistance, the aptly titled Garden of Peace and Harmony. A stone bench is strategically placed for full immersion in nature, overlooking a large garden pond surrounded by trees and plants in a great blaze of colour. Cocooned beneath the trees, visitors can enjoy the hypnotic sound of water trickling over rocks, while the air hums with birdsong. 

Towards the end of the route is a dignified memorial: a bronze sculpture of Lafcadio Hearn, donated by the city of Matsue.