People's Park

Freestanding bandstand, built 1869, on an octagonal plan on drag edged cut-limestone chamfered plinth on repointed coursed rubble stone base. Restored, 2001. Set in landscaped grounds.

A bandstand making a pleasing visual statement as the centrepiece of People's Park. NOTE: The bandstand was 'projected [1869] by Alderman Redmond [Cornelius Redmond (1807-98)]' (Egan 1894, 537) whose name is also carried on the set of gas lamp standards outside Waterford City Hall and Theatre Royal (see 22504549): it is possible that, just like those gas lamp standards, the bandstand was supplied by George Smith and Company (established 1858; closed 1899) of Sun Foundry, Glasgow, although no maker's marks have been uncovered. The bandstand has been subject to numerous repairs and the anthemion finials captured in a photograph by Robert French (1841-1917) of Dublin no longer survive [NLI L_ROY_00106]. The bandstand originally formed part of an architectural ensemble including a pair of cannons labelled as "Russian Trophies captured at Sehastopol [sic] 1855" on the Ordnance Survey City of Waterford Sheet IX.79 (1871): the cannons were relocated (2000) to the bishop's palace in The Mall (see 22504094). A terracotta fountain (1883), a facsimile of a fountain designed by Baird and Thompson (fl. 1848-56) of Glasgow exhibited at the Great Industrial Exhibition (1853) by Ferguson Miller and Company (fl. 1846-60) of Heathfield Works in Glasgow, was vandalised (1977; 1982) and ultimately dismantled (1990): its site is now occupied by a new water feature, "In-Visible" (2001), by Tina O'Connell (b. 1964).