Journeys, even everyday ones, can mean a lot. Colin Doyle is Senior Dealer Marketing Executive at Nissan Ireland. As someone with a passion for motoring, he told TheJournal.ie about the drive that means most to him.
First off – describe the drive.
I’m from Castleknock, and I live quite close to the Phoenix Park. I do a lot of driving around Ireland through work, but the nicest drive I can think of is driving through the park. Whether it’s summer or winter.
When you go down the Farmleigh side and out around the boundary of the park, you get a good glimpse of the Dublin mountains and the Liffey as it flows into the city. It’s about the contrast. On one side you have a real suburban setting around Castleknock and Chapelizod, then it’s a real hustle bustle on the city side.
But when you’re driving through the park at night it doesn’t seem like you’re in an urban setting. The lights are dimmed, down very low. It’s very dark. It’s almost a bit of a throwback to what it might have been like, before cars were the primary form of transport.
Because I’m from Castleknock, it’s always been almost like a back garden. I’m always surprised when you talk to people from Dublin and they’ve hardly been to the Park. I think everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy it.
What makes this particular drive special to you?
Usually it’s on my way home from work. And every time you’re driving through it, it’s a calming influence. Because whatever happens during the day… everything’s coming into bloom, you’ve the deer on your right. It’s a sense of relief.
Describe the one view that sums up your favourite drive.
I was driving home from work two weeks ago, on the road around the back of the Pope’s cross. Where the deer come really close to the road.
And there you are, you can see buses, you can hear the trains going into Heuston Station, you know from experience the N4 is going to be busy across the river. But then you’re in this serene setting. Where else in the world could you get that mix of rural and urban?
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