Mount Pleasant Square
Located near the celebrated Corrigan's but largely void of the hostelry's comfort or charms - god knows it was not designed with tinning tipplers in mind! We visited at the very start of the pandemic in April 2020, at a time when one was paranoid about receiving €2000 fines if caught outside (what was then) the strictly monitored 2km limit. Equipped with a bevy of cans on a suitably grey and unfriendly day, we alternated between the various benches provided - sometimes stealing into the bushes for a surreptitious and hasty slash which likely did not altogether escape detection. The spectacle of some hooded crows and magpies afforded some novelty. The exquisite 3rd movement of Beethoven's Opus 109 was played.
The place is popular with dogwalkers and (most unfortunately for us tinny swillers) many parents and many schoolchildren and many babies in buggies. The pair of raincoat-clad lads guzzling cans in a dark corner of the park started to take on a very seedy aspect when set in such wholesome familial conjunction. As a spot for outdoor drinking, it also felt very insecure and very exposed - anxious eyes were always on the lookout for Gardai, a pair of whom at last arrived, prompting our prompt exodus, draining the last of our loot underneath a picturesque archway en-route to the very closed Corrigan's. In a few words, it's worth doing once, but in terms of comfort and spectacle and safety, the city offers far better outdoor venues.
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this blog represent personal opinions and perspectives only. Read more.