And you don’t need to be green-fingered to enjoy spending time in one of the city’s many public gardens.

Most impressive are Ireland’s National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, home to over 15,000 plant species and the magnificently restored curvilinear glasshouses dating back to the 1880s. Dublin’s Georgian squares are the city’s lungs, all handsomely landscaped and perfect for walking, picnicking and watching the world go by. St Stephen’s Green is a favourite, its flowerbeds a riot of colour in spring and summer.

Tucked in behind a row of Georgian townhouses, Iveagh Gardens lie hidden away, an unusual confection of styles and features including a yew maze. Lovers of formal gardens will be rewarded by a trip to Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Home of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, it has a beautifully laid out Master’s Garden dating back to the 1700's, with the Lutyens-designed Irish National War Memorial Gardens a short stroll away. Further afield, Malahide Castle and Gardens are worth a day trip, if only to enjoy Ireland’s only butterfly house within the impressive grounds.