Dublin is an absolutely breathtaking city, but its historic buildings and pristine bridges don't quite offer the same kind of vibrant serenity that you'll find in the local parks. The parks around the city come in quite a few different shapes and sizes, but they all have something special to offer.
When you visit Dublin's parks, you'll find opportunities for a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Plus, many of the parks have historic sites and monuments within along with an array of colourful flora. Check out the best parks in Dublin.
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St Stephen’s Green
Visit a Victorian park
- Couples
- Families
St Stephen’s Green is a popular park in the city centre where you'll find an iconic Victorian layout with extensive greenery and flowers. The park was opened to the public in 1880, and it encompasses 9 hectares of space, so there's plenty of room to explore with a lovely stroll.
The park is easy to traverse with more than 2 miles of pathways within. Along these paths, you'll come across plenty of scenic sights including Victorian flower beddings, a waterfall and even an ornamental lake populated by waterfowl. See it for yourself in eastern Portobello on the south side of the city centre.
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Phoenix Park
Check out a massive enclosed park
- Adventure
- Couples
- Families
Phoenix Park is a sizable park where you'll find plenty of green space along with zoological gardens and Victorian flower gardens. While it was originally formed as a hunting park for royals, it now serves as a relaxing reprieve from the city, though there's still a population of fallow deer that make their home here.
When you visit this park, you'll find quite a few walking and biking paths among its 700 hectares of available space. Additionally, you'll find places for recreation including hurling and cricket. It's located a few miles west of the city centre.
Location: Dublin 8, Ireland
Phone: +353 1 820 5800
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St Anne's Park
Find a park with a bit of everything
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- Couples
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- Food
St Anne's Park is a thrilling park with a rose garden, plenty of vibrant greenery and some other features you may not normally expect from a park. Inside this park, you'll find plenty of walkways along with 35 playing pitches if you're looking for a more active experience. There's even a golf course.
Consider when you want to visit this park, as certain days and times of year have special offerings. On Saturdays, for example, you'll find a farmers market set up in the park. Additionally, this park is home to the Rose Festival each July. It's along the coast on the east side of town across the water from Bull Island.
Location: Clontarf East, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Phone: +353 1 222 8933
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Iveagh Gardens
Find a hidden gem of a park
- Couples
- Families
The Iveagh Gardens have much to offer despite being relatively hidden compared with other more popular parks in town. When you visit, you'll find an inviting landscape with plenty of green space, fountains and rustic grottos with a history dating back centuries. A restoration of the gardens began in 1995.
One of the most impressive aspects of this park is the water feature. It includes samples of rocks from each of Ireland's 32 counties. Additionally, you can see a yew maze and a rosarium. You'll find it in eastern Portobello on the south side of the city centre.
Location: St Stephen's Green, Park, Dublin 2, D02 HX65, Ireland
Open: Monday–Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +353 1 475 7816
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National Botanic Gardens
Explore a plant collection
- Couples
- Families
The National Botanic Gardens let you explore a variety of different plants both local and exotic in vibrant and colourful surroundings. More than 15,000 different plant species are on display here, and they come from several different kinds of habitats.
To ensure that the plants have everything they need to grow properly, the gardens feature glasshouses with certain kinds of plants inside. Don't forget to check out the 300 endangered plant species here with 6 on display that don't exist anymore in the wild. It's located in Glasnevin north of the city centre.
Location: Glasnevin, Dublin 9, D09 VY63, Ireland
Open: Monday–Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm
Phone: +353 1 804 0300
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Marlay Park
Discover a lovely and historic space
- Families
- History
Marlay Park is a wide-open green space that features a historic house where you'll find a wide variety of things to do. It measures 120 hectares in total, and the historic house is built in the Georgian style and dates back to the late 18th century. You can take a tour of the house if you like.
When you visit this park, you'll find plenty of activities available. Various sports like football, tennis and golf are available. You'll also find walking paths and playgrounds that are suitable for children. Occasionally, concerts are held here as well. You can see it all for yourself between Edmondstown and Ballinteer to the south of the city centre.
Location: Grange Rd, Taylorsgrange, Dublin, Ireland
Open: Daily from 9 am to 6 pm
Phone: +353 1 204 7931
Mapphoto by Joe King (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
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Merrion Square Park
Take in a Georgian square
- Families
- History
Merrion Square Park is a popular Georgian square and one of the oldest in the city where you can see colourful flowers and shrub beds. The parkland here doesn't encompass the entire square, but you'll still find plenty of green space to traverse.
When you visit this park, you'll find plenty of historic houses in the area along with plaques highlighting different historical figures who once lived here, such as Daniel O'Connell. One of the most prominent markers is the statue of Oscar Wilde reclining on a rock. This park is south-east of the city centre and west of the Grand Canal.
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Irish National War Memorial Garden
See a Lutyens-designed park
- History
The Irish National War Memorial Gardens is an impressive park where you'll not only find plenty of green space but also trees, rose gardens and architectural features all planned out. It was all designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who was a renowned architect in the late 19th to mid-20th century.
At this park, you'll be able to explore several interesting features like the rose garden and fountain installations. Of course, you'll also find war memorials with the names of soldiers engraved on them. Check it out for yourself along the River Liffey's southern banks west of the city centre.
Location: Island Bridge, Ushers, Dublin, Ireland
Open: Daily from 8 am to 6 pm
Map - 9
Herbert Park
Relax in a quaint park
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Herbert Park is a lovely park where you'll find plenty of open green space as well as opportunities for several different activities. The park encompasses about 12 hectares of space in total, and it's divided by a road in the middle.
When you visit this park, you'll probably see people running around the perimeter. This is because the perimeter's entire length is just about equal to a mile, so it's easy for people to keep track of how far they've gone. You'll also find sporting pitches and a playground for kids. It's located in western Ballsbridge on the west side of the River Dodder.
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Griffith Park
Enjoy a park with a river and playground
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- Families
Griffith Park is a satisfying park with something for the whole family to enjoy complete with a lovely river running through it. The park was developed in pieces, but the last part of the park as it is known today was created in the 1950s after development began 20 years prior.
At this park, you'll be able to enjoy vibrant trees and flowers along with the opportunity to take a stroll by the river on either side. You'll also find a modern playground that kids are sure to enjoy, so keep that in mind if you're travelling with the whole family. You'll find it due north of the city centre in Drumcondra.
Location: 27 St Michael's Rd, Botanic, Dublin 9, D09 C8W7, Ireland
Open: Daily from 8 am to 9 pm
Phone: +353 1 222 5278
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