I’ve mentioned my local park earlier in this A-Z blog, but not by name. Marlay Park is a 300 acre green area one kilometre from my house. I’ve ran so many kilometres within and around its perimeter in the last five years that I sometimes refer to it as my back garden! It’s a beautiful place to run on a balmy summer evening or on a bright and crisp winter morning. It has so much more to offer than pathways for runners though.

From a nature point of view, it’s pretty much got it all as parks go. Big, green wide open spaces. Forest, streams, ponds. Even a few waterfalls. On the sporting and recreational end, most boxes are ticked too…eleven football pitches, a nine hole par three golf course, tennis courts, two children’s playgrounds. A miniature railway!

The place has history too. Marlay House is a centuries old Georgian mansion which dominates the front of the park. Close to it is the beautifully manicured walled garden with exotic plants and water features. Even a resident strutting peacock which has no inhibitions about showing his plumage to onlookers! The park caters for those looking for a tasty coffee or brunch/lunch with a cafe adjacent to the walled garden. And at weekends the Farmers Market takes over a courtyard in front of the house and an array of local artisans and producers sell their very enticing wares. Sometimes after a Saturday or Sunday morning run I’ll undo the good work of calories burned by treating myself to a nice latte and sausage roll!

A full morning or afternoon can easily be spent in this vibrant piece of south west Dublin. Every time I run in the park on weekends, I tell myself I should spend more time there relaxing and enjoying it. With all the families and fellow exercise enthusiasts doing laps, at least the runs are never dull as they allow for that ever interesting pastime…people watching! What amazes me now looking back is that until I took up running fully in 2010, I had spent next to no time in the park. And I have been living in the area since 2007! I honestly don’t know what I was doing during those three years. That was the past. Looking ahead, I hope to keep running around and relaxing in this lush piece of green for years to come.