Park Avenue, Dublin facts for kids
| Ascaill na Páirce (Irish) | |
Sign with Dublin 4 post code
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 Location in Dublin
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| Namesake | Parkland |
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| Length | 850 m (2,790 ft) |
| Width | 13 metres (43 ft) |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Postal code | D04 |
| Coordinates | 53°19′31.22″N 6°12′47.08″W / 53.3253389°N 6.2130778°W |
| north end | Gilford Road |
| south end | Sydney Parade Avenue |
| Other | |
| Known for | Expensive houses |
Park Avenue (Irish: Ascaill na Páirce) is a well-known road in Sandymount, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It connects Sydney Parade Avenue to Gilford Road. This street is famous for its many sports clubs. You can find Pembroke Cricket Club, the Railway Union Sports Club, and Monkstown Rugby Club here.
Park Avenue is also home to the Church of St John (part of the Church of Ireland). This church is special because of its French Bath stone. The stone has worn away over time because the church is so close to the sea. The church stands on a small island where Park Avenue meets St Johns Road. St Johns Road continues east towards the sea at Sandymount Strand.
Just like its famous namesake in New York City, Park Avenue in Sandymount is known for its very expensive houses. Many wealthy people live here. For example, in 2006, a house at number 70, which was a large Victorian house, sold for €9,500,000. However, by 2011, the price of the same house had dropped to €5,925,000.
The History of Park Avenue
Park Avenue is built on what used to be a marshy area. This area was once a large pond or lough (a type of lake) that was part of the River Liffey estuary. It covered about 13-acre (53,000 m2).
Early Days of the Street
Around the year 1820, there were only twelve houses on Park Avenue. Back then, it was called Cottage Park Avenue.
The Sisters of Mercy and Their Work
The Sisters of Mercy are a group of religious women. They had a convent, an orphanage, and a school on Park Avenue. They started their work there in 1856. Their activities are even mentioned in the famous book Ulysses.
Later, the land where their buildings stood became very valuable. The Sisters decided to sell some of their property. They sold about 3.15 acres (12,700 m2) of land. This land was then used to build 78 new houses.
