http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18408 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18408 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16516 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16516 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11770 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11770 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8958 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8958 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8152 Nice secluded playground too for younger kids. Near the National Gallery which is also worth a visit (for both art and lunch!).]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8152 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6926 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6926 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6790 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6790 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4164
For one of the outstanding views of Dublin, follow the yellow marker posts for about an hour on a climb into the nearby woods. This view (on the Wicklow walkway) looks north taking in Dublin city, the bay and environs.

For even more stunning scenery follow the track for another hour up the hill and the city disappears to reveal open Irish hillsides and rolling forests. If you’re lucky, you will see some native deer and mountain goats.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4164 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4128
The park is interesting not just for this expanse of land, but also because of the interesting history of its development. It began as a Royal Deer Park from around 1662, and was opened to the public in 1747. It holds a zoo, visitor centre, deer, the big Papal cross and the president's home (Aras an Uachtarain).

It's ideal to get the Luas up there, and chill out for a day, or just recover from the night before before hitting the town again.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4128 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4122
Unlike his other war memorials, Lutyens designed a tranquil garden on the banks of the Liffey. The garden consists of a Great War stone surrounded by circular fountains, which in turn are enclosed by pairs of 'book rooms' and pergolas. The 'book rooms' take the form of small limestone pavilions with sloping stone roofs and blank niches. Originally these rooms contained books designed by Harry Clarke containing all the names of the war dead.

The gardens was shamefully neglected for many years before undergoing restoration by the OPW in the 1980s. The park ranger now has a facility in one of the pavilions to view and print any page from the 12 book memorial record.

A stone’s throw from the wonderful Irish Museum of Modern Art, the historic Kilmainham Jail and close to the National Museum and Guinness brewery, it is a worthwhile and peaceful diversion from the throng of the city centre.

The riverside location is tranquil, and various rowing clubs are located on the opposite bank, beyond which you can see the magazine fort in the Phoenix Park. One of Dublin's best-kept secrets, the gardens bloom beautifully in mid-summer.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4122 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/103 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/103 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/96 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/96