Phoenix Park Conservation Management Plan

Landscape
6.1 Introduction
The Phoenix Park is an extensive historic designed landscape of plantations and grassland lying between
12 and 56 metres above sea level on the north bank of the River Liffey. The expansion of Dublin City has
encompassed the Park, virtually isolating it from its former rural setting, but valuable views southward across
the River Liffey to the distant Wicklow Mountains still provide important links with the countryside and
views towards the Quays provide a link with the historic city centre.
First appearing as a Royal deer park in the 17 th century, the identity of The Phoenix Park as a special
landscape was enhanced by enclosure within a stone wall. Since then the Park has been used extensively
for military activity and for several hundred years has contained the official residences of important political
figures.
The Phoenix Park is the only example of a Royal Hunting Park remaining in Ireland.
6.2 Geodiversity
The concept of geodiversity describes the variation of geological environments, of bedrock, soils and
landscape features.
The modern landscape of the Park begins at the end of the last Ice Age and is completed by human
intervention over the following 12,000 years. The landform of The Phoenix Park was formed by glaciation
during periodic Ice Ages. A deep layer of boulder clay was deposited by the last ice sheet over the underlying
‘Calp’ Limestone. Substantial streams of melt water from the ice sheet flowed southwards over the surface
of the area now occupied by The Phoenix Park towards the River Liffey. These streams eroded the surface
of the boulder clay to form deeply incised channels, which today are visible as the eastern valley occupied by
the People’s Gardens and Dublin Zoo, the southern valley known as the Khyber Pass and the western Furry
Glen valley area. The enlarged River Liffey carved itself a deep channel, depositing terraces of sand and
gravel along the steeply-sloping southern fringes of the Park.
Significant features of geodiversity interest are located in The Phoenix Park. While not rare, they are of
educational interest and include:
• Outcropping limestone in Quarry Lake.
• Unusual example of a mainly natural landscape within the confines of the City which was formed through
postglacial processes; the movement of meltwater and deposition of till.
• The northern portion of the Park has limestone nearer the surface. It shows a crag-and-tail landscape
form, with much of its central portion being comprised of low, almost indistinguishable glacial flutes.
• The geometry of the deglacial drainage system and its meltwater channels explains much of the Park’s
hydrology and the position of many of the big ponds (dammed streams in channels).
• The terraces formed of sand and gravel at the south side of the Park are associated with shallow, alkaline
soils and high plant diversity.
• Soil characteristics (wetness or dryness) are linked to land uses and biodiversity potential.
• The solid geology of The Phoenix Park is linked to the architectural history, as local materials were used
to build many of the residences and, in particular, it is likely that much of the material in the boundary
wall came from Park quarries.
40 THE PHOENIX PARK CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN