A walk in People’s Park in Athy reveals nature's delights

FEBRUARY the first, St Brigid’s day and the rain clouds that had swelled the rivers and drenched the land finally rolled back to reveal a bright blue sky, on the first day of Spring.

I had just dropped my son to the railway station and it being a sharp and clear afternoon I decided to go for a walk in the People’s Park. The first thing I noticed were the fantastic new information boards that have recently been erected in several places in the People’s Park. The notice boards are arranged on a circular route around the park and display information on the history and planting of trees in the park since it was given over to the people of Athy by the Duke of Leinster almost 180 years ago.

The history of the park is outlined on the first board you encounter as you enter the park from the gate opposite the railway station. Information on the species of trees in the park is contained, in Irish, English and Latin on the boards throughout the park.

It is said that the family members of the Duke of Leinster would bring back a young tree from each of the countries they visited to plant in the park throughout the latter years of the 19th century. Thanks to them we are blessed with some of the most spectacular species of trees in the world right in the centre of our town.

In the middle of the park stands a Giant Redwood or Sequoia, a native of North America, the Giant Sequoia are the largest trees on Earth.

The tree in the park is upwards of 150 years old and at some point, was probably transported from the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.

Also, in the park there is a splendid species of Holm Oak or Holly Oak, as it is sometimes called, The Holm Oak is an evergreen oak, native to the Mediterranean region, it stands just beyond the playground area and is one of the first tree you will come across as you traverse the park.

The European White Elm probably came from southern Finland or possibly the Ural mountains although they are also native to the Crimea and Ukraine.

These are just a few of the almost 40 species of trees that are growing in the park. Throughout the park, the daffodils have just pushed above the ground and I am glad to say that last year’s flowers were allowed to die back rather than being cut down when they faded, ensuring that this year hosts of golden daffodils will once again sway in the gentle breeze to the delight of visitors to one of the loveliest public parks in Ireland.

As I headed back to the car park, I was delighted to see that the Coastal Redwood tree, which was cut down one night in January 2025, has begun to regrow.

The magnificent 40-foot-high specimen was vandalised last year, having stood proud in the park for over 100 years, but right around the stump, new growth has appeared, and one hopes that future generations will see it grow into the beautiful tree that it once was.

The sky remained clear through the evening and late on Sunday night as I sat in the yard looking at the night sky I noticed that the great constellation of Orion, having risen from the east in the days after Halloween to dominate the winter sky, was now beginning to slowly sink away into the south west to lie below the horizon until the autumn evenings shortened to darkness, when once again Orion, The Hunter, will rise in the eastern sky to dominate the firmament through the bleak mid-winter.

It is true that Spring gladdens the heart and brings with it all the beauty of creation and the promise of brighter and warmer days to come.