The People's Park is one of the open air treasures of Limerick. It provides a haven of peace near the bustling centre of the city. It is not extensive in area, but its undulating grassy knolls, winding pathways, colourful flower beds, mature trees and architectural curiosities make it seem much larger than it is. Founded in 1877, it has been extensively renovated in recent years and is now a very popular recreational area for locals and tourists alike. It opens from 8am till dusk. From the 3rd week of April to the 4th week of August, opening hours are from 8am to 9pm. The park ranger rings a bell to signal closure.
Pery Square (parking area) flanks one side of the Park and the town houses across the road from it are fine examples of Limerick Georgian architecture. One of these, No. 2 Pery Square, has been fully restored along with its garden under the guidance of Limerick Civic Trust and is now open to visitors. The City Art Gallery (formerly the Carnegie Library) is nearby and can be accessed free of charge. It was recently reopened after extensive renovations and it now has a coffee shop to refresh weary cachers!. The park also has a well appointed children's playground.
Waypoint 1 (Coordinates listed above), is an ornate Victorian drinking fountain. In the recent park restorations it was completely refurbished to its former red-and-white glory. In its restored state it no longer serves its primary function, as it has no water supply. Find the following information:
How many pillars support the roof of the fountain? Let the answer = A
How many lights are embedded in the floor area of the fountain? Let the answer = B
Waypoint 2 (N52 39.451 W008 37.689) is the location of the bandstand, another example of Victorian architecture in the park. It is circular, made of timber and metal on a stone base. It overlooks a grassy slope nearby which opens out onto a natural grassy amphitheatre reaching to the perimiter wall of the park. Look for the plaque on the roof and find the following:
Locate the 4-digit number on the plaque. Let the third digit = C and the fourth digit = D.
Waypoint 3 dominates the park, so you'll hardly need the coordinates! (N52 39.490 W008 37.700) Thomas Spring-Rice was a prominent Limerick politician who held key positions in the British parliament in the first half of the 19th Century. This memorial was built in 1831 and is a doric column about 25 metres high, with an octaconal base and topped with an effigy of the man it honours. On one side of the base, an inscription including a sequence of 8 digits can be seen in the following format:
**E* - **F*
Apply E and F above to the digits that occupy their positions on the column.
The code for the cache position is as follows:
N52 3C.B(A-4)E W008 3(A-1).(F+3)(D-1)(C-3)
P.S. As this is a busy city park, it is advisable to wear adequate gloves for the final search.