A formal reopening was to have been carried out by the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Belfast Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.

Ó Muilleoir sought refuge in a nearby shed and remained there for 20 minutes whilst his police escort organised an escape.

[5] In 2017 the council, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive opened elf-themed children's trails within the park.

[7] In September 2018 a sculpted metal bench was placed in the park as a memorial to those lost to suicide and to encourage people to talk about their mental health.

[9] The Woodvale Park tree was later forgotten until its rediscovery during preparations for the 90th anniversary of start of the Battle of the Somme in 2006.

[10][11] The tree and its planting ceremony are recounted in Robert Scott's work A Breath of Fresh Air, The Story of Belfast Parks.

Known as the European War Memorial, it commemorates the dead from all sides, including Germany, and was said to be unique in this respect.

[9] The memorial is a 6.5 tonne chunk of granite cut with six sides to resemble a stone from Giant's Causeway.

The unveiling ceremony was conducted by the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle and was attended by senior unionist politicians.