(Redirected from Irish Grand Prix)'Phoenix Park' (in
Irish, ''Páirc an Fhionn-Uisce'') is a large
park located 3 km to the north west of
Dublin city centre in
Ireland. It measures 712
hectares (1752
acres), with a walled circumference of 16 km that contains large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues. The park is home to a herd of wild
Fallow deer.
The name is a corruption of the Irish ''fionn uisce'' meaning "clear water".
It is one of the largest enclosed city parks in
Europe.
Richmond Park in
London,
England is larger at 2,500 acres (10 km²). Phoenix Park is larger than both
Central Park in
New York and
Hyde Park in
London.
Unusually for north Dublin, Phoenix Park has an even-numbered
area code (Dublin 8/D8). All other areas (except for the adjacent
Chapelizod) have even numbered area codes if on the southside of Dublin, or odd-numbered on the northside.
History
After the
Normans conquered Dublin and its hinterland in the 12th century Hugh Tyrell, 1st Baron of
Castleknock, granted a large area of land, including what now comprises the Phoenix Park, to the
Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. They established an abbey at
Kilmainham on the site now occupied by the
Royal Hospital. The knights lost their lands when
Henry VIII confiscated monastic properties in
1537 and eighty years later the lands once more reverted to the ownership of the King's representatives in Ireland. On the restoration of
Charles II, his Viceroy in Dublin,
Lord Ormonde established a Royal Hunting Park which contained pheasants and wild deer, therefore it was necessary to enclose the entire area with a wall. It was opened to the people of Dublin by
Lord Chesterfield in
1747.
Significant features
Ãras an Uachtaráin
Ãras an Uachtaráin
The residence of the
President of Ireland (
Ãras an Uachtaráin) is located in the park.
Zoological Gardens
One of the main attractions in the park is
Dublin Zoo, which houses more than 700 animals and tropical birds from around the world. It was founded in
1830 making it the third oldest zoo in the world.
Papal Cross
The
Papal Cross was erected for the visit of
Pope John Paul II in September
1979. Over one million people attended an open air mass in the park at the time.
Wellington Monument
The Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park
The
Wellington Monument, a 62m (205
foot) tall
obelisk memorial for the
Duke of Wellington.
Deerfield Residence
The
Deerfield Residence was the former residence of the
Chief Secretary of Ireland. It is now the official residence of the
United States Ambassador to Ireland.
The Phoenix Monument
The Phoenix Monument
This monument in shape of a
Corinthian column with a
Phoenix bird rising from the ashes at its pinnacle. It was erected by Lord Chesterfield in 1747.
The Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
The oldest building in the park is
Ashtown Castle, a restored medieval tower house dating from the 17th century. It is located beside the Visitors Centre which houses interpretive displays on the 5,500 years of park and area history.
Other places of interest
The headquarters of the Irish national police force,
An Garda SÃochána, are located in the park. It also contains several sports grounds for
football,
soccer,
cricket and
polo.
The State Guest House,
Farmleigh, adjoins the park to the north-west. The south western corner of the park is known as the Furry Glen and has a series of short walks centred around a small lake with birds, plants and wildlife.
The park is featured prominently in
James Joyce's novel, ''
Finnegans Wake,'' and tangentially in ''
Ulysses''. It is occasionally used for open-air
concerts and the annual Phoenix Park Motor Races.
Motor racing
Motor racing first took place in Phoenix Park in
1903 when the Irish
Gordon Bennett Race Speed Trials were held on the main straight for both cars and
motorcycles. This was followed in
1929 by the Irish International Grand Prix; the first of three Irish motor racing grand prixs.
[1] Racing took place between 1932 until the beginning of
World War II in
1939 and was revived again in
1949 with a sprint on the ''Oldtown'' circuit
[2] followed the next year by a full racing meeting again and has been used virtually continuously until today. Over the years seven different circuits have been used, two of which are named after the famous
Ferrari World Champion racing driver Mike Hawthorn.
Irish International Grand Prix winners
Concerts
The park has played host to music concerts over the years including
Robbie Williams,
U2,
Red Hot Chili Peppers to name but a few.In
October 2007, there will be a string of concerts held at the park in a
circus big top style stage. Confirmed acts for this include
Arcade Fire and
Ian Brown.
Reference
1. PhoenixParkMotorRaces.org ''The Event'' (retrieved 7 March 2007)
2. Phoenix Park race tracks (retrieved 7 March 2007)
See also
★
Gardens in the Republic of Ireland
★
Phoenix Park Murders
External links
★
Architecture of key park buildings
★
Map of greater Dublin showing the placment and size of Phoenix Park. It is the large green area west of the city centre, above the word "Kilmainham".
★
Satellite Photo of Phoenix Park
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