The Georgian Merrion Square was purchased from the Pembroke Estate by the Catholic Church in 1930 for £100,000 as a site for a cathedral.
However, it was never built and in 1974 the then Archbishop Dermot Ryan transferred the 4.75 hectares to Dublin Corporation for use as a public park.
Belgrave Square in Dublin 6, wedged between Rathmines and Ranelagh, was privately owned until the mid 1970s, when it was acquired by the council and developed as a local park.
St Anne's Park in Clontarf was sold by Bishop Plunkett, nephew of Lord and Lady Ardilaun, to the council for £55,000 in 1939.
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Bushy Park was sold to the council in 1951 by the Shaw Estate.
And Kenilworth Square and Grosvenor Square - both in Dublin 6 - are in private ownership
