Things to Do: parks--Merrion Square Park, and St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland

Merrion Square Park  Merrion Square, Dublin 2; +353 1 222 5278.  Hours vary seasonally.  This Georgian garden square dates from the late 1700s.  One of the city’s finest parks, it is lined with red-brick Georgian townhouses on three sides.  The remaining side fronts some government buildings, the Natural History Museum, and the National Gallery.  Noteworthy features include many sculptures, a collection of old Dublin lamp posts, a central floral garden, a heather garden, and a playground. 















St Stephen’s Green  South end of Grafton St., city centre, Dublin 2, +353 1 475 7816.  M-Sat 7:30am-dark, Sun 9:30am-dark.  Free.  This Victorian public park is maintained in the original layout, with trees and shrubs planted on the perimeter and Victorian beds that bloom in spring and summer.  To escape rain, visit the Victorian lakeside shelter or in the Victorian Swiss shelters in the park’s center.  Well worth a visit are a waterfall and Pulham rock work on the western side, an ornamental lake that provides a home for waterfowl, and a garden for the visually impaired.  Sculptures are found throughout, and a children's playground is a popular attraction.  Lunchtime concerts are scheduled in summer.

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images ©2014 Carole Terwilliger Meyers