The Phoenix Park

Papal Cross, by jaqian

Dublin’s Phoenix Park is a treasure, more than 1700 acres of walled parkland just 3km from the centre of the city.

There are vast expanses of grass, knots of woodland, a herd of wild deer, playing fields for football, cricket and polo, gardens, houses, monuments and Dublin Zoo . Few cities have such a facility on their doorsteps – it is more than twice as large as Central Park in New York.

The park was for centuries the property of the King’s representatives in Ireland, used as a Royal hunting park – which is why it was enclosed by a wall, to keep the game in. However it was opened to the public in 1747 and so for more than 250 years has been a favourite playground for generations of Dubliners.

Origin of the Name ‘Phoenix Park’

Although there is a monument with a Phoenix bird rising from the ashes in the park, the name has nothing to do with the bird, but is a mispronunciation of the Irish name “Fionn Uisce”, meaning ‘clear water’.

Buildings & Monuments

Deerfield, by jaqian

The residence of the Irish President, Áras an Uachtaráin, is within the park but is not regularly open to the public. Neither is Deerfield (left), the gracious and impressive residence of the American Ambassador to Ireland, pictured on the left, though it can be seen clearly from an area known as ‘the Acres’.

Ashtown Castle is a medival tower house which is beside the Phoenix Park visitor centre.

Just outside the Park, at White’s Gate, is Farmleigh, former residence of the Guinness family, now owned by the state and used as a guesthouse for visiting heads of state. Tours are available if the house is not so occupied.

Wellington Monument, by infomatique

The most impressive monument in the Park is the Wellington Monument, an obelisk over 200ft high erected as a tribute to the Duke of Wellington.

He may have little appreciated this gesture to him as when the fact that he was born in Ireland was mentioned he was wont to comment that

“being born in a stable doesn’t make one a horse.”

The large Papal Cross marks the spot where in September 1979 Pope John Paul II said mass for more than 1 million people – about a third of the Irish population. I grew up close to the Park and was there that day. It was an extraordinary sight to see so many people at one time but equally extraordinary to discover how many people could sleep in our house and eat breakfast that morning in our ordinary domestic kitchen!!

Wildlife and Nature

There have been deer in the park since its days as a hunting ground, and still the most celebrated animals there are the herd of fallow deer, between 400 and 500 of them, who can most often be seen grazing the areas around the central Fifteen Acres (by the Papal Cross) or in the woods surrounding that area.

In Spring you will see dozens of young fawns, later you may be lucky enough to come accross some shed antlers, most often found in Oldtown Wood, on the opposite end of the acres to the cross.

The south western corner of the park is a wildlife sanctuary, the Furry Glen where a small lake teams with wild birds and the surrounding hills are a nice place to walk. Don’t go alone here though – its a little off the beaten track and sometimes used by slightly dodgy people for slightly dodgy activities.

Visiting the Phoenix Park

The park is open all year round, there is no admission charge and visitors can explore freely. The visitor centre has some good exhibits on the history of the park and its wildlife and is worth a trip. It also houses are really very good restaurant, with good lunches and snack served all day.

Dublin Zoo is within the park and is open all year round also.

If you visit on a Summer Sunday, the Polo grounds is a good place to stop for a while, the games rules are pretty much impenetrable to the uninitiated, but watching the agile and fearless polo ponies and their equally fearless riders is very entertaining. Sunday often sees bands perform in the hollow at the People’s Gardens, just beside the entrance to the Zoo.

If you can’t make it person, this is a good and interesting virtual tour of the Park.

More about Phoenix Park

If you want to know more about the Park, or to have an expert at your elbow while you explore it, then you need to get hold of Brendan Nolan’s fabulous book – Phoenix Park – A History and Guidebook.

It’s all in there.

Map of the Phoenix Park