Sheathed in acres of rolling green expanses, Phoenix Park is one of the largest city parks in Europe. This massive verdant swathe lies nestled in the west of the city, and is a mixture of wilderness and formal landscape gardens. Dotted with tree-cloaked boulevards, pristine tracts of grassland and open recreational spaces, the park is also home to some monumental, nationally significant edifices, too. The Ashtown Castle calls the park home, in addition to the towering Papal Cross which marks the visit of Pope John Paul II back in 1979, the stately Áras an Uachtaráin, the Wellington Monument which is a soaring tribute to the Duke of Wellington, and the teeming Dublin Zoo, are all nestled in its scenic, idyllic expanse. Among the many recreational activities offered here are Gaelic football, polo and cricket. Also enclosed within its viridescent fabric is a vibrant burst of plant life, while a bird sanctuary and a herd of fallow deer coexist in peaceful harmony. Playing host to an array of events, festivals as well as racing events, Phoenix Park is a massive window into the unbridled natural beauty and strategic finesse of Ireland.
A short bus ride from the city center, the splendid Botanic Gardens and its many floral wonders are a stunning treat to the senses. Accentuated all the more by the glimmering waters of River Tolka, these Irish gardens uphold an assemblage of hundreds of thousands of plants, and a smattering of botanical specimens. In all their floral glory, the gardens are a wonderland for naturalists and botany aficionados, its verdant course dotted by a string of splendid greenhouses, like the impressive, structural and glass-clad Curvilinear Range and the Palm House. The great glasshouses full of exotica were constructed in the mid 19th century and designed by Richard Turner, who was also the man behind the glasshouses at Kew Gardens. The gardens are divided into distinct areas of interest, featuring long herbaceous beds, a rose garden, alpine houses, a vegetable garden, orchid beds, an arboretum, a yew-clad walkway along the river, and a wonderful area exhibiting the various natural habitats of Ireland. Also sheltering willows plunging gracefully over gleaming waters, the National Botanic Gardens are a luxuriant canvas of natural glory and luminescence.
El parque más famoso de Dublín tiene una larga historia. En sus inicios fue tan solo un espacio común, ubicado cerca del hospital de leprosos, y en 1664 la ciudad decidió cercarlo. Sitio de ahorcamientos públicos durante el siglo XVIII, no fue hasta que Lord Ardilaun lo acogió bajo su ala en 1880 que el parque tomó la forma que podemos ver en la actualidad. Las estatuas conmemorativas están por doquier, junto a los canteros floridos, entre los árboles y bordeando el estanque de los patos y sauces. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde y W. B. Yeats son solo algunas de las personalidades celebradas en este parque, mientras que los Three Fates, o "Tres Destinos" en español, de aire petulante, miden los hilos del destino de la humanidad desde su fuente ubicada en la entrada de la calle Leeson. En verano se organizan conciertos gratuitos en la glorieta.
Bray Head, which can be found in the County Wicklow by the Irish Sea, is a headland that forms a part of the Wicklow Mountains. This headland is a popular tourist attraction and a landmark in the city of Bray which is visited by people from all across the country. A beaten path takes you to the top of the hill providing a stunning view of the sea and the scening surroundings along the way. On top of Bray Head is a concrete cross, named the Holy Year Cross, that was placed there in 1953. During the ocassion of Good Friday, a procession attended by hundreds of devotees climb Bray Head with Holy Year Cross being the destination.
Este edificio del siglo XVII bellamente restaurado es una de las barracas militares más antiguas de Europa, pero como si eso fuera poco, en la actualidad las Barracas Collins son el segundo edificio del Museo Nacional de Dublín y albergan las colecciones de arte decorativo. De particular interés son las colecciones de platería irlandesa, los jarrones y mobiliarios etruscos, y una exposición llamada "The Way We Wore" (o "La forma que vestíamos" en español) que ofrece una mirada interesante sobre la moda a través de los siglos. Las Barracas Collins suelen recibir también exposiciones itinerantes y están a tan solo pasos de la recientemente revitalizada Smithfield.
Situado sobre el apacible Río Liffey, el puente Ha'penny, también conocido como puente Liffey, es uno de los más importantes emblemas de la ciudad. A principios del siglo XVIII, los ferris operados por William Walsh recorrían el río. Pero las embarcaciones se encontraban en condiciones tan deplorables que el gobierno local se vio forzado a exigirle a Walsh que construyese un puente o dejara de operar los ferris. Walsh no tardó en expresar sus deseos de construir el puente pero carecía de fondos suficientes para hacerlo. Fue por ello que quienes utilizaban sus servicios debían pagar un "halfpenny", o "ha'penny" como localmente se le decía, a modo de peaje para costear la construcción. De ahí nació el nombre del puente que en la actualidad atrae a visitantes y locales por igual con su color blanco angelical y la promesa de una vista bellísima del río.
The Howth Cliff Walk is among the foremost activities that one can set out to experience in the inviting village of Howth. Beginning at the Howth waterfront, the cliff walk takes you right around Howth Head, where your efforts are rewarded with fantastic panoramic views of the Dublin Bay. Comprising a fairly easy and mostly flat hike, the cliff walk can be attempted by children too, making it an adventurous family activity. Do begin your sojourn of the hamlet with the enticing Howth Cliff Walk.
See a piece of literary history at Sweny's Pharmacy. This is the pharmacy described by James Joyce in Ulysses. It has been preserved to keep the appearance of what Joyce described in his writing. Although it is no longer a pharmacy, you can stop in and browse a selection of used books and even pick up a bar of the famous lemon soap from Joyce's description. Regular readings of Joyce's writing are held here as well.
Situated in the leafy suburb of Rathfarnham, this building was formerly a school run by the leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, Padraig Pearse. Located in the beautiful grounds of St. Enda's Park, the museum now features a wide range of exhibits, a nature study room with Irish flora and fauna displays and an audio-visual presentation on the life of Pearse called This Man Kept a School. The fine park features riverside walks, a walled garden and a waterfall.
Royal Hibernian Academy was established in 1823 by a group of thirty artists to create a platform for aspiring artists to educate themselves and present their creations. The school focuses on architecture, painting, sculptures and visual arts and mainly focuses on the difference between traditional and a contemporary approach to arts. The gallery has exhibitions conducted both of local and international artists and also has a huge collection of paintings by Irish painters. The museum is currently managed by the Art Council of Ireland.
The Grand Canal is undoubtedly the better preserved of Dublin's two canals, and a stroll along its banks is like taking a wander through the essence of Dublin. The lush canal banks pass through working-class apartments, nouveau and not so nouveau-riche areas, business districts and red-light areas and culminates at the Grand Canal Basin. On one side of the basin you will find Misery Hill, so called because of the utter poverty it once witnessed, and on the other side you will find one of Dublin's newest and most exclusive penthouse apartment complexes. For those interested in angling, coarse fishing for roach, hybrids, perch, pike, tench and eels is free all year round.
Housing more than 6,000,000 volumes, the Trinity College Library is one of the largest libraries in Ireland. Although occupying several buildings, four of the main ones are located in the Trinity College Campus itself. From the four, the main drawcard is the Old Library that not only houses the 65-meter-long (213 feet) Long Room, but also houses the Book of Kells that contains the four Gospels of the New Testament. Other items in the library that are equally fascinating include the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, the Book of Durrow and the Book of Howth. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself mesmerized by the beauty and ancient charm of the magnificent library as well as the amazing collection of ancient texts. After you have toured the library, head to the Trinity College Library Shop and buy some souvenirs for friends and family.