This tourist magnet is located just minutes from the Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed urban park in Europe.  A wall some eight miles long surround a staggering 1752 acres – in fact, it’s bigger than the combined areas of London’s Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent’s Park, St James’ Park, Green Park and Hampstead Heath.  Hardly surprising then, that more than 235 species of wild animals and tropical birds roam round the enclosed spaces here.

The Garda headquarters is located in the park, in a building constructed for the Royal Irish Constabulary between 1839 and 1842.  Also here is Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the Irish president, built in 1751, and nearby are the residences of the papal nuncio and the US ambassador.  In 1882 Lord Frederick Cavendish, the British chief secretary to Ireland and his under-secretary Thomas Burke were assassinated opposite the Aras by members of a nationalist group called the Invincibles.