Best Parks in Dublin
After the museums, the bus tours and the pub stops, the best parks in Dublin – some hidden gems in the midst of Georgian rows, others the size of towns just waiting to be discovered at the edge of Ireland’s capitol city – are among the city's truly finest treasures. The best parks in Dublin make a visit to this golden city all the more memorable.
Built to commemorate the fallen of the First World War, the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Inchicore mingle stately granite architecture, family-friendly lawns and an unrivalled riverside walk with balanced perfection. Tumbling gardens and massive fountains stand, monolithic, as tributes to the nearly 50,000 Irish soldiers who fought and fell from 1914 to 1918. In spring, this hidden park comes alive with blooming trees, long leafy avenues and two terraces dripping in roses, lavender and other planted delights.
Nearby Phoenix Park dominates the eastern edge of Dublin city – and rightly so, as it holds a record as one of Europe’s largest city parks. The city’s thriving zoo, sporting grounds, numerous trails and historical landmarks – including Áras an Uachtaráin. and the noble Farmleigh – only add to the grandeur of this green urban retreat.
At the heart of the city center, St Stephen’s Green continues to draw life from surrounding neighborhoods, shops and events that happen regularly in its orbit. Modest and thriving, this city park is the perfect place to relax after a vigorous shopping excursion on nearby Grafton Street.
In opposite measure, Glasnevin Botanic Gardens are a blooming reminder of what makes suburban life so ideal. Victorian confections of glass and painted white steel house rare blooms, tall tropical trees and collections of all things green and growing from all over the world. Local art and plenty of room to spread out a picnic make this calm garden escape a perfect fit for city-based visitors searching for a relaxing afternoon in the sun.
With so many more green spaces in the city and its surrounding neighborhoods, Dublin proudly carries on in the Irish tradition made for memorable outdoor days.
Posted on Mar 28, 2011 by Bridget Reilly
