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ASHTOWN DEMESNE AT THE VISITOR CENTRE

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PHOENIX PARK SUNDAY 8 OCTOBER 2023

As already mentioned, I was somewhat disappointed by the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre which includes Ashtown castle so I decided to explore the grounds and photographs the trees as many had interesting shapes.

Ashtown Castle is a tower house in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland.

It was found hidden within the walls of a much larger and more recent Georgian building, the Under Secretary’s Lodge also known as Ashtown Lodge, that was being used by the Papal Nuncio until 1978. At that time, the Lodge was deemed structurally irreparable due to dry rot. However, as the building was being demolished, Ashtown Castle was discovered. It has now been restored and forms part of the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.

It is thought to originally date from the 1430s, as it is built to dimensions that conform with a government policy of the time that offered £10 to those who built a castle for their own safety. The castle was later incorporated into the construction of Ashtown Lodge which was to serve as the official residence of the Under Secretary from 1782.

I TRAVELLED BY BUS THE THE PHOENIX PARK VISITOR CENTRE

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NEW 99 BUS SERVICE LAUNCHED 8 OCTOBER 2023

BUS STOP AT PARKGATE STREET

When I arrived at 16:00 the walled kitchen garden was in the process of closing which was a pity as I found little of interest other than the landscaping which is equally good throughout Phoenix park in general.

Ashtown Castle is a tower house that probably dates from the seventeenth century, but may be as early as the fifteenth.

For years it was completely hidden within the walls of a Georgian mansion once occupied by the under-secretary for Ireland. When that house was demolished in the late 1980s, the castle was rediscovered. It has since been fully restored and now welcomes visitors.

Surrounding the castle is Ashtown Demesne, which boasts a plethora of attractions. Chief among them is the walled kitchen garden, which has being beautifully restored to its original Victorian layout. There are also woodland walks, picnic areas and a universal-access playground.

The Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, adjoining the castle, contains an entertaining exhibition on the park’s history from 3500 BC right through to the present day. There is a charming restaurant in the visitor-centre grounds.

Initially, the new shuttle bus service will run between Parkgate Street and the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, via Chesterfield Avenue. Stops include Parkgate Street entrance and popular visitor attractions like Dublin Zoo and the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. Visitors to Áras an Uachtaráin will be also facilitated with stops close to the Phoenix Monument.


The Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Options Study, developed by the Office of Public Works, the NTA, Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council, identified the need for a bus service to the park as part of its ambition to reduce private car usage, enhance sustainable transportation modes for visitors and commuters, and minimize the impact of vehicles on the park and its surroundings.

RUSH BY MARTIN O’KEEFE SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT CATALOGUE REF 137

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I USED A SONY SEL FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS LENS

Born in Newry Co. Down, raised in West Cork and Dublin, Martin O’Keefe is a visual artist who works primarily in the mediums of stainless and mild steel, aluminium, copper and brass.

I wanted to see how well my Sony FE 70-200MM lens would on the Sony A7RIV body so I decided to visit the Sculpture In Context 2023 exhibition at the Botanic Gardens. The lens cost me about Euro 3,000. It has been replaced by a new version which is supposed to be much better.

THE ÉIRE 1798 MEMORIAL IS THE CENTRAL FEATURE OF SAINT MICHAN’S PARK IN DUBLIN

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY WILLIAM MURPHY

St. Michan’s park was first developed by Dublin Corporation as a park in 1898 and was refurbished by the parks division between 1996-7. Facilities include a toddlers’ play area, a handball alley [which was closed for many months and may not be operational even now] and seating with associated shrub plantings.

As you may have noticed from my photographs the statue of Erin is the central feature of Saint Michan’s Park.

Éire 1798 Memorial (1903)
Artist Unknown
Commissioned by Dublin Corporation.

The statue of Éire is positioned on a raised area of the green with a high pedestal; and dated at the base to 1903. This date puts the installation of the statue at some five years after the park opened. When the site was transformed into a public park the mound had been designed to hold a memorial and the pedestal was installed by at least 1899.

The site was inherently political due to its association with Newgate prison, the walls of which were consciously retained as the outline of the park. Newgate Prison was where many United Irishmen (here commemorated in relief tablets around the base) were incarcerated and this monument was raised to commemorate
the centenary of the death of rebel leader, Robert Emmet.

Éire’s demeanour is subdued and downcast, holding a funerary wreath, a wolfhound looks up at her from one side and in the background the nationalist symbol of the high cross is clearly visible. The base of the monument has an inscription in Irish script with reference to the history of the prison. It reads:

Within this park once stood Newgate prison
Associated in dark and evil days with the doing to death of
Confessors of Irish liberty who gave their lives to vindicate
Their country’s right to National independence
This memorial is erected to perpetuate their memory
To honour their motives and to inculcate a grateful reverence
In Irish minds for sacrifices thus nobly made
For freedom and to proclaim Ireland’s fidelity
To the principles of the men whose names are heron inscribed
In the belief that these will yet redeem and
Regenerate our fatherland for subjection

PHOENIX RISING BY MICHAEL CHARLES KEANE

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SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT 2023 PREVIEW 2 SEPTEMBER 2023

In order to preview Sculpture In Context I visited the exhibition on the Saturday and Sunday before the exhibition officially opened. I used a Canon 5DIII on the first day and a Sigma Dp3 Quattro on the Sunday.

The works on display were not labelled until Thursday and they is when I purchased the catalogue.

Sculpture in Context is the largest sculpture exhibition in Ireland. It is an annual event organised by Sculpture in Context, an artist-led organisation, in association with the Office of Public Works and the National Botanic Gardens. The exhibition showcases the work of over 120 artists using a wide range of media, from the smallest, most intricate ceramic works to stone sculptures of monumental scale. The sculptures are displayed throughout the 50 acres of beautifully-landscaped grounds of the National Botanic Gardens, creating a unique and inspiring experience for visitors.

The 2023 exhibition will run from September 7 to October 13. The opening hours are from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week. Admission is free.

SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT 2023
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