Enclosed behind Dublin Castle, the Dubh Linn garden looks like a formal piece of landscaping. Prior…read moreto its creation (primarily to serve as a helipad site), in medieval times, the site itself was a tidal pool that sat at the rear of the Dublin Castle before the waters flowed into the River Liffey. The central lawn is circular, circular grassy garden with a brick Celtic knot pattern with smaller gardens in the corners. One of the gardens is a memorial dedicated to the local Garda, with the names of all Gardai (Irish Police) killed in the line of duty being inscribed on a roll of honor. Protected by the stunning Chester Beatty Library and the Dublin Castle, is also home to three memorial gardens. Tucked into the corners of the space, memorials to the investigative journalist Veronica Guerin, the 2003 Special Olympics volunteers feature specially commissioned sculptures. Dubh Linn, or "black (dark) pool" referred to the dark tidal pool and evolved into the city's name as we know it today. The gardens are fairly new, being completed in 1996.

Large green space surrounded by the Dublin Castle and other buildings. It's kind of sparse, maybe…read morenot something you'll go out of your way for, but if you're in the area, it's a nice place to take a stroll.

Gorgeous landscaping of very unique flowers! Small pond with fountains one can leisurely stroll…read morethrough. A hidden gem. Children's play area off the entrance

This park is around the corner from my office. If there is ever a hint of sunshine this is where I…read morewill go for my lunch hour. I always enter the park through the Blessington st entrance. Empty park benches are usually hard to find here on a warm sunny lunch hour. so u can usually see me speed walking past other hopeful 'empty park bench' wanters. Pretending I am just out for a leisurely speed walk, and then when i reach the only empty park bench I casually stop with a 'oh look an empty bench' look on my face and plonk myself down!!! at about 2pm the fountain in the middle of the pond is turned on. This can be pretty annoying when the wind blows! All the lucky people who managed to get an empty bench turn into synchronized swimmers. With the wind blowing the spray in the direction of the bench sitters - heads turn in beautiful synchronisation to avoid the spray. This usually last for about an hour, then normality resumes.

Merrion Square is probably most known for its Oscar Wilde statue. His childhood home is just across…read morefrom the statue. Whenever I'm in Dublin, I like coming to this park not only to visit Oscar but to walk the grounds. The park has been in existence since the late 1700s and is surrounded by Georgian homes. The green space is lovely and spacious and has an area for kids to play as well. It's a nice park for taking a little respite from the stressors of the day. Great for people and dog watching as well.

Merrion Square Park sits at the centre of one of Dublin city's most beautiful Georgian squares. The…read morepark has been restored to its historical layout. It also has a playground and sculpture trail. The Merrion Square Park is the most intact Georgian Square located in the heart of the city and it's surrounded by all kinds of artistic and creative institutions like the National Art Gallery of Ireland, the Archaeological and Natural History sections of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Royal Society of Antiquaries, the Irish Architectural Archive, just to name a few In the middle of the Georgian buildings, Merrion Square Park is located. The park is surrounded on three sides by Georgian redbrick houses. On the fourth side, it's surrounded by government buildings, the Natural History Museum, Leinster House and the National Gallery of Ireland. To me the best place to enter the park is at the northwest corner near #2 where you will come upon, what in my opinion, is one of the greatest examples of a modern sculptural portrait to be found anywhere. Here is Oscar Wilde in all his dandified glory. Fun fact, the Merrion Square Park was originally a private garden for residents of the square. Luckily, now everybody can enjoy a walk through the gorgeous park.

Our tour group had the fish and turkey, and both were excellent and very fresh! We had the Greek…read moresalad as an appetizer and it was amazing, very fresh, crunchy and tasty! For dessert, we had the sweet honeycomb and apple crumble, and the apple crumble was a bit too sweet, without enough apple flavor, but the sweet honeycomb was fantastic, light and delicious and presented very beautifully! The server was very nice, warm, and efficient!

A new place for me , never knew it was even here . Gorgeous park lots of interesting things for the…read moreeye to see . Its good to take time out from the busy city and enjoy some peace & tranquility

This is one of the most beautiful gardens my eyes have ever seen in my entire lifetime- and that is…read moresaying a lot! We actually found these by accident as we were looking for the waterfall that is in the area. We went into these gardens with no prior knowledge or expectations. After we purchased the tickets and went through the door and were instantly greeted with a view worth millions. Fantastic stone work, statues, manicured grounds and flowers are all around. The trails were beautiful and did I mention the VIEW!!!!!! It is one of those rare places where the pictures don't do any justice. I loved all of the bee and butterfly friendly flowers. I also was seeing some of these types of flowers for the first time which was really brilliant. This place is so beautiful. Take a look at some of my pictures. I really hope that people consider coming here especially if you enjoy nature and gardens. Highly recommended.

My wife and I were attending a wedding at the Powerscourt Hotel where the reception was at the…read moreGardens & House. We could have visited the gardens for free that day, but didn't want to ruin my tuxedo and shoes. We came back the next day and paid the 14 euros for access. The gardens are sprawling and vast with different trails and elevations. There's an old lookout tower which we climbed. The Italian gardens were beautiful with most flowers in bloom. Give yourself time and use the map to see the many different types of plants and flowers. Probably the most dense and diverse of any other garden tour. My wife especially loved the pet cemetary and became emotional after reading many of the headstones. The house is also very nice with a food area and gift shops within. Supposedly there's a castle within the house of which you could see some of the old framing. There is also a video loop of the estate and its features and history. It doesn't take too long to watch and is quite insightful.

The revamp of the Docklands has been one of the better things to come from the economic fortunes,…read morealthough I worry that socially it may become a ghetto type scenario with the lack of buyers for the apartments or people defaulting. For now it is still a busy part of the city, especially amongst the workers there as there are many multinationals and design firms in the area. So as a result it has a very modern feel with a lot of upwardly mobile eateries. I am a fan of the sculptures in the area, they really make the quay a pleasant place to amble through or to sit and relax. Worth the walk to this side of town.

It's hard for me to diss the Docklands because I live here and I have to be proud of my…read moreneighbourhood. I know that this area is going to get better and better and in one year it will be unrecognizable. Most of it is still under construction. With the extension of the Luas and the new apartment blocks that are being built, the neighbourhood will soon become the next Smithfield, meaning that it will be filled with young professionals and become an international ghetto. Right now, there are some amazing sights from the top of the existing apartment complexes. I can see all of Dublin from my roof: Howth Head, the Dublin Mountains, Croke Park, Lansdowne Park, the Spire, Clontarf and East Wall. The boardwalk along the Liffey also has some historical sights too. Walking along the river, you can see the Jeanie Johnson, a replica of a Famine boat, and these haunting statues of Famine victims. There are a number of mobile cafes and restaurant a long the river too. The boardwalk is also a way to avoid some of the rough people who live behind the IFSC. But even the rude children who shout abuse at you add charm to the Docklands.

Dublin's Georgian set-pieces are rightly lauded as some of the central city's best spaces, but…read moretheir Victorian successors shouldn't be overlooked. Located just off Rathmines Road, this park has the very definite feel of being the common garden of the surrounding houses of the square, which is, of course, exactly the purpose of the green spaces in all of Dublin's squares. Don't let that put you off, though; the park has been open to all, residents or otherwise, for over 30 years. There's a children's playground to keep the kids occupied, and tree-sheltered corners to just relax, virtually undisturbed by the traffic.

Belgrave Square is one of the many green spaces that make Rathmines, and the southern suburbs of…read moreDublin, an excellent place to live. The park itself is relatively small, but it provides a very welcome break from the monotony of your usual suburbian street and has greatly increased the market value of the houses facing the square (lucky homeowners!) The square is never overrun by people, as is sometimes the case in other Dublin parks, so it is a great place to escape for a lie in the sun (if the sun is ever out, that is!) There is a pretty decent children's playground here, so Belgrave Square is very popular with mother's clubs and the kiddies. There are also two Indian guys who go running here every day, around and around the track. To me it seems like they're always there, running around the park. I'm not sure if they ever have a break. Look out for them next time you're in the area and let me know if you see them. They must be pretty fit!

A hidden oasis in the North Inner city. Only a 10 minute walk from O'Connell St and you can breath…read morefreely away from the masses. It really is a lovely place to go for a stroll. There are plenty of seats around the basin and it feels peaceful and is a great place to read a book on a sunny day but Ssshhh, It's a secret!!!!

A rare patch of solitude on Dublin's northside…read more The Blessington Street Basin was originally intended to supply water to Dublin. Once obsolete, it was eventually turned into a charming amenity. Like the Iveagh Gardens on the southside, the Basin is surrounded by high stone walls and you wouldn't know it's there. A good place to have a sandwich, feed the ducks, relax.