Pictured Above: The Banks of the Grand Canal.
The summer is well past its mid-point and the warm days are getting numbered, so now is the time to make sure to get outside and enjoy at least one coffee break or lunch in the sun (when it appears!).
Sandymount Strand
The beach seems like an obvious choice for a picnic but it can get quite windy so unless you enjoy authentic ‘sand’-wiches you may regret setting up camp on the wide flat strand! Try for a more sheltered spot like the Sean Moore Park or sit along the walls of the old bathing house at the Martello Tower to block the wind.
Sandymount Green
The Green can be packed on a sunny afternoon so if that’s the case you can forget getting a free bench but the grass is just as nice to sit on and Borza’s chipper is only a stone’s throw away, which is never a bad thing!
Ringsend Park
Comprising 10.58 hectares, this park is perfect for anyone looking to burn off their lunch. There are free tennis courts, an athletic running track, and the multi-use sports area also caters for soccer, basketball, and seven-a-side matches. Not to mention the full size UEFA certified synthetic surfaced floodlit pitch! (Booking required).
Pearse Square
Previously known as Queen Square, this 0.5 hectare grassy Georgian square dates back to 1839. It was successfully refurbished and reopened in 1998 and offers a calm spot to eat a sandwich and escape the traffic.
Merrion Square
Stephen’s Green can be quite overrun with tourists in the summer months, so why not pay a visit to the not-so-cool little brother five minutes away and savour the peace and quiet.
Herbert Park
Herbert Park celebrated its 100th birthday in 2011 and continues to offer a range of activities and leisure options from tennis, boules, croquet, running tracks to nature trails and an all-weather multi-use pitch and new children’s playground, which were both added in 2007. With countless ducks nearby to eat your left-over crusts and endless spots to sit, this is a winning choice for a full afternoon in the sun.
The banks of the Grand Canal
On any given ‘Sun’-day the banks of the canal, pictured left, are lined with people dining, dozing and dreaming. If you want to feel a part of a summer’s day and live/work anywhere from the Grand Canal up to Rathmines, the canal is a quick fix for a chance to eat a bite outdoors and watch the world and the ducks go by.
By Caoimhe Fox
