Ireland – Phoenix Park

The forecast today is 'ok'; we understand that in Irish-Gaelic this translates to 'awesome'. We plan an outdoor day in Phoenix Park, thinking to start at the far west and walk east (towards Dublin). We ask the Uber driver to take us to Farmleigh, but he drops us at the back gate, which is locked. After marching around the walls for a while, we find the way in – it's at the very end of White's Road, through a big white gate (pedestrians only).

Farmleigh's manicured lawns are perfect for a morning stroll, and we see lots of families and small children on bikes taking advantage, especially near the Boathouse Cafe and the small park near the pond. We approach the house from the east and see the glint of the Conservatory's glass half-dome in the shady canopy.

We arrange a time for the guided tour in the ticket office at the stables. The peacocks have taken over the courtyard.

 

 

 

We make our way to the nearby Farmleigh Gallery. There is an exhibit entitled 'Trees to Treasures', showing student work from the Atlantic Technological University (Connemara).

 

 

Farmleigh House (eighteenth century) is Ireland's 'official state guest house'; it is very large, but the exterior is plain. The interior, however, feels special. The Entrance Hall impresses with dark marble columns, deep coffered ceilings, and a unique system of skylights (over the carriage way, vestibule, and grand staircase). A corridor hung with tapestries crosses in front of the staircase and forms a west-east spine.

To the west is the Dining Room which also features a set of tapestries depicting allegorical 'chariot' images; the decorative architectural framing is also compelling.

 

 

 

 

 

The east corridor connects to the Library, which in addition to the world-class collection, is an astounding celebration of wood (Austrian oak) – with beautifully carved (neo-Jacobean) embellishments and touches of brass.

Further east is the Nobel Room, a square room with a circular ceiling, elegantly executed. We end the tour of the interior in the Ballroom, with is extravagant plaster work and 'wedding cake' details.

 

 

 

Finally, we reach the Conservatory, which is as impressive on the inside as the outside. The clear glass, curved trusses, and mechanical cranks are all in excellent shape. The space is properly appointed with marble statuary, linen-covered side tables, and so many tropical plants.

 

 

 

Next, we head for the Walled Garden. Here we find more locals, walking their dogs (on-leash), and reading the in the grass. Its popularity is understandable, as the Garden is bursting with fresh colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the Parkland is dedicated to the horses, sheep, and alpaca. One particularly old and beautiful tree offers shade near the stage and seating in the 'Donkey Field', which seems to be setup for showjumping.

 

A good walk over several grassy fields brings us to Ashtown Castle (fifteenth century). A bit of a disappointment, the 'Castle' is a house-like stone structure. The actual 'Castle' walls are cleverly represented in the layout of the boxwood hedges.

 

 

We press on; the Park's grassy fields seem endless. Along the way, we see cyclists, joggers, and a buck. We find the The Phoenix Column (eighteenth century) in a wide roundabout.

From the intersection, we take the road to the south and head for The Magazine Fort (eighteenth century). It's another healthy trek on a lengthy, downhill path, then uphill at the end. Hoping for a picturesque old ruin, the Fort is simultaneously an 'old ruin' and not – it's not 'that old', and it's less 'ruined' and more 'abandoned'. But the vistas on the bluff are fine.

We end our expedition at the Wellington Monument (nineteenth century), an impressive obelisk with relief plaques near the Park's eastern gate. These reliefs show the dramatically brutal, military action in India and Waterloo, but the last plaque holds these words:

Conservata tuis Asia atoue Europa triumphis

Invictum bello te coluere ducem,

Nunc umbrata ceris civili tempora quercu

Ut desit famæ gloria nulla tuæ

Asia and Europe, saved by thee, proclaim

Invincible in war deathless name,

Now round thy brow the civic oak we twine

That every earthly glory may be thine 

Unsure who to trust, perhaps erring on the transcription, Google translates this to:

Preserved by your triumphs in Asia and Europe

Invincible in battle I will lead you to worship,

Now shadowed by the wax of the civil oak

That your fame may lack glory

That's a trillion-dollar company.