Late nineteenth and early twentieth century Ireland contained a variety of nationalist, unionist, and working-class forces. A variety of groups interacted to create the Irish Free State that eventually emerged. This paper examines the role of Phoenix Park as a microcosm for understanding these elements. One can see the larger issues occupying Ireland playing out within this park. Symbols of imperial authority, a variety of forms of nationalist expression, and labor rallies all existed within this one space. Phoenix Park embodied this period of Irish history
