Have you ever heard someone saying that Phoenix Park is the biggest city park in Europe? I heard that a long time ago and for many years, I said it to every visitor who came to see me in Ireland. But one day I looked into it and found out that this is actually not true!

Phoenix Park has 707 hectares (1,750 acres) and the largest city Park in Europe is the Lee Valley Park in London with 4,046 hectares.
Then I read that it was the largest city park in a capital of Europe. But Lee Valley Park is in a capital and even if you don’t count that one, then Richmond Park in London with 955 hectares is still bigger.
I kept searching and found that Phoenix Park is allegedly the largest ENCLOSED park in Europe. But that is not true either, because Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley in France has 5,440 hectares and is therefore much larger than our little Phoenix Park.

So, what is the “trick”? …here it comes:
Phoenix Park is the largest ENCLOSED PUBLIC park in a CAPITAL city in Europe.

Isn’t this as if you said Dublin Airport is the biggest airport in the world … out of all the airports that are in a city that starts with D, uses Euro for currency and has a Spire.

Trickery!!