The 544 page book is by a former Dublin Corporation parks department landscape architect and South Dublin County Council parks and landscapes services head.
There are more than 150 parks and gardens featured, some notable, some under appreciated.
Themed chapters cover history, benefits, Phoenix Park, squares, parks from all ages, plant collections, coastal and canal parks, trends and demesnes.
Demesnes are pieces of land attached to a manor and retained by the owner for their own use.
Within the pages, a whole alternative eclectic history of Dublin emerges, from the Guinnesses to war memorials, the church to Churchill, as well as art, the environment, wildlife, sports, politics and the economy.
In 2007, Dublin hosted the World Parks Congress. In 2009, the Economic and Social Research Institute published an analysis of the value of parks in Dublin and found house prices were 7-9% higher when they were close to parks. Meanwhile, the tourism, environmental and social value of parks are further benefits that are universal to a greater or lesser extent across parks worldwide.
For the future, Boylan sees challenges such as climate change and the growth of cities, and sees solutions in the trend to becoming national park cities and through social prescribing and technology such as unmanned vehicles and remote security. The big funding question remains a quandry, but charitable status as well as health department cash could be cures.
This is a life's work by Boylan and there is no one better qualified to write this history and analysis of Dublin's parks' story.
