The main parks and gardens to enjoy in Dublin
Dublin ‘s parks and gardens are a mirror of Ireland, a very green place. And they are also very well cared for, so strolling and relaxing in them will be a great option on your visit to Dublin.
There are many green areas in the city but above all there are two parks that stand out. On the one hand, St. Stephen’s Green, for its location, and Phoenix Park, for its size and charm.
There are many more, but these are the main parks and gardens to visit in Dublin.
St Stephen’s Green
Situated at the end of Grafton Street, making it one of the busiest too, St. Stephen’s Green has the honor of being one of the oldest parks in Ireland and one of the most worth visiting.
It dates from 1664 when the city council decided to make a public park in a place where it had won until then.
At that time it was on the outskirts of the city but its charm was attracting the upper classes who built their homes around it, turning this park on the outskirts into the most central of Dublin today.
However, the gardens that we can visit today have nothing to do with the original since in the 19th century they underwent a major remodeling that gave them a Victorian touch and to which swans and other birds were added.
In addition, it also has numerous monuments, such as the one dedicated to James Joyce, and a large pond that will make you enjoy the water surrounded by nature and tranquility. Also noteworthy is the area dedicated to the blind where there are aromatic plants whose labels are in Braille. Something not too common in parks around the world.
Phoenix-park
Phoenix Park is completely different from St. Stephen’s Green. If the second has all the appearance of a small urban park, Phoenix Park looks more like a forest due to its large area and the deer reserve that lives in it.
It is the largest urban park in Europe, open to the public since 1745, although the deer reserve has existed since 1622.
Throughout its more than 700 hectares we can also find numerous monuments such as the Phoenix Column, with the Phoenix Bird that gives the park its name, Papal Cross, a cross located in the same place where Pope John Paul II officiated a mass in 1979, a 63 meter obelisk called the Wellington Testimonial, or Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of the Republic of Ireland.
Animals also have a great role in Phoenix Park, because in addition to the families of deer that we can find, especially in the areas with the greatest vegetation, the Dublin Zoo is also located inside it, opened in 1830.
In addition, in this park we can also practice various sports such as cricket, rugby, soccer or simply ride a bicycle. You can rent them at some of the entrances to the park.
Merrion Square Park
Much smaller and more modest than the previous ones, Merrion Square is still a park that you should not miss, not only because it is a haven of peace but also because it is next to some of the most important museums in the city, such as the National Gallery or the National Museum of Archaeology.
In addition, around the park, in Georgian style, you can also admire imposing buildings in which famous people such as Oscar Wilde or Daniel O’Connell once lived.
It is also named Archbishop Ryan Park, after Archbishop Dermont Ryan, who in 1974 deeded the park to the city council after it was purchased by the Catholic Church to build a cathedral that was never built.
You should not miss this park’s collection of sculptures, its curious lampposts that review the history of lighting in the city, or the anti-aircraft shelter in one of its corners.
Photos: wikipedia.org
