Dublin City Council is seeking planning permission to turn the Garden of Remembrance at Parnell Square in Dublin's north inner city into a more people-friendly and accessible park.

The garden, at the north end of Parnell Square, was built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Rising.

It was described in a recent plan for Parnell Square as "poorly connected" to the streets and "disappointing" in its presentation.

The plan, drawn up by Howley Harrington Architects for Dublin City Council, aims to revamp Parnell Square and turn it into a cultural destination by improving its layout and its pavements, roads and streets.

The redevelopment will cost over €200 million in public and private investment.

The aim is to make the Garden of Remembrance more inviting and contemporary with the addition of a new paved forecourt. The garden will be re-ordered by raising the lower paved area and its pool to improve its visibility.

It is also to be made more accessible by a new pedestrian entrance opposite the Hugh Lane Gallery, which is undergoing a €12 million extension.

An etched glazed screen will form the boundary between the platform and the sunken garden.

The rejuvenation of the Parnell Square area will see footpaths, bus lay-bys and lights upgraded to a similar standard to O'Connell Street and on-street car-parking will be re-organised.

It will involve a revamp of the Ambassador Theatre, which could become a cabaret-type theatre with restaurant café and bars, and the Dublin Writers Museum will be expanded to become a National Museum of Literature.

A new children's garden and crèche facility on the north-west corner on the square will be situated beside the Rotunda Hospital and the Garden of Remembrance.