Phoenix Park in Dublin is one of two winners of the first International Large Urban Parks gold medal, along with Centennial Park in Sydney, Australia. The award is given by World Urban Parks Association.
The award cites the park, the largest enclosed park in any European capital, for “preservation of a well-protected and managed large heritage park, with a broad range of activities and events, serving the city of Dublin.” It’s also one of the world’s oldest public parks, opened to the public in 1745.
The park includes the Dublin Zoo, a Victorian Walled Garden and a visitor center, as well as sports grounds and many other features and monuments in its 1,750 acres, including an ancient herd of fallow deer.
