The People's Gardens, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Éire

The People

It is a bit away from the city centre, but Dublin does have a large green space in the form of its Phoenix Park, one of the largest in Europe. The name is derived from the Irish Fionn Uisce, meaning clear water, and it is home to Dublin's Zoo and the official residence of the President of Ireland, Áras and Uachtaráin. In addition to these, it also plays host to the Wellington Testimonial, the Papal Cross and the Papal Nunciature. In 1979, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in the park and the Papal Cross dates from then.

The bucolic location that you see above is in the People's Garden, an appealing spot not far from Dublin's Heuston Station. It is hard to believe that the above scene was captured in a city, yet that is how it was. While it would not identify the spot as being in Dublin, you need oases like these in any built-up area. For a time, it was frequently visited while having some time before catching a train to Charleville in Co. Cork from where I travelled to the destination of numerous visits.

See more photos from this album (City of Dublin)