Autumn – Conker Season!
Courtesy of HorganLynch
The first thing we ask ourselves in early September is ‘was it a good Irish summer?’ and so far (with the exception of today) we are still enjoying some fabulous summery skies and weather warm enough so as not to need a sweater or jacket.
Chatting about autumn with various friends recently resulted in an depth discussion about the actual date that autumn begins. The Autumn Equinox starts on 23 September and the Meteorological Autumn begins on the 1st September. One could add a third equation; most people believe autumn begins when the children are back in school. We agreed to disagree so you can decide yourself which is correct! Associated with autumn are mellow yellow days when the leaves are turning and shedding copiously on a daily basis. It is a right of passage for all children to kick leaves.
One cannot possibly mention autumn without talking about the all important horse chestnut trees and the wonderful game of ‘conkers’. This is the time of year that the squirrels are at their busiest collecting their treasure troves of glossy brown nuts to tide them over the leaner winter months.
The majestic Phoenix Park is a perfect location to collect your ‘conkers’ and scatter leaves in childish abandon. There is a tremendous sense of spacious freedom in this glorious park. However, there are several other Dublin parks and gardens that come to mind such as St. Anne’s in Raheny; the Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin; St. Stephen’s Green and the Iveagh Gardens. My favourite has to be the one where I always went as a child – Herbert Park. This park is cut in half by the road so you can choose which side you prefer. For this venture I would choose the side with the duck pond.
Over the last few decades so many parks lost ash and chestnut trees to nasty bacterias and parasites. Ash dieback is extremely prevalent. This is such a shame as it causes problems for caman (hurley stick) makers as well as losing some of our wonderful trees. Our park keepers are some of the best in the world and they have done their best to save as many as possible and have an excellent re-planting programme. Herbert Park is managed by Dublin City Council whilst other parks and gardens come under the auspices of the OPW (Office of Public Works). The OPW is a good functioning state agency.
The Herbert Park Hotel overlooks this gorgeous park and has excellent rates with attractive discounts if booking directly on their website. Alternatively, if you are just a local you could try their dining room for a nice meal as it nestles right into the park and their menu is pretty enticing as well.
Why wait until the 23rd September? I am of the opinion that as soon as the leaves start falling then take it that autumn has arrived and fashionable autumnal strolls in our wonderful parks are already on the menu. By the time Halloween comes around in late October we are well on our way towards the darker nights and colder days. It is then definitely time to put on the woolly sweaters and put away the flip flops until next year. Maybe try for an odd weekend break away in places such as Renvyle House Hotel in Connemara or The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge in Tipperary.
