Herzog Park row shows name changes need proper discussion to avoid polarisation

Herzog's lengthy list of life achievements makes for difficult and unsettling reading as we continue to bear witness to Israeli war crimes, and the current escalation of settler violence and expansion across the West Bank. File photo: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie

Last week saw much debate over the suggested name change of a small park in Rathgar, a delightfully secluded spot known only in my youth as ‘the quarry’. 

What was then the site of secret smoking and skiving from class is now home to a wonderful playground which my daughter and niece have enjoyed on a number of occasions. Until recently, I was blissfully unaware that the park bore Chaim Herzog’s name, despite attending the Jewish school which sits directly behind the park wall.