In Dublin, you can enjoy a day in the park immersed in woodland, have a picnic with an amazing coastal view, or just run from the buzz of the City Center to the peace of a Victorian Style garden. Ireland’s capital is well served with green areas to explore and varied options to please all tastes - all very easily accessible by public transport. To help you make the most of your time here and be sure you’ve seen the best that the city has to offer, here is a guide to the best parks to visit in Dublin and how to get there:
Irish National War Memorial Park
This beautiful Garden is dedicated to the Irish Soldiers who died during World War One, with an elaborated landscape and plenty of space to sit down and enjoy a sunny day. The park is usually very quiet, especially during the week. The north part of the gardens faces the river Liffey and from each side, you get a different vision of its well-thought design and the many plants that were carefully chosen to complete the space.
How to get to the Irish National War Memorial: The park is located at Island Bridge, Usher, Dublin. From Dublin’s City Center you can take the Dublin Buses: C1, C2, C4 or 26.
Iveagh Gardens
This charming park is a hidden gem in Dublin City Center, and it’s more popular among the locals than the tourists. It’s a perfect oasis to have a picnic, lay for a bit in the laws, or just do some people-watching while enjoying the sunshine. There is also a rose garden, a flushing waterfall made of rocks from all the counties in Ireland, and a Memorial to Human Rights Defenders to visit in the park.
This Victorian-style garden used to be private and used only by the owners of the houses around that area, but It is now open to the public and definitely worth a visit. During summer, the park also hosts some concerts, so if you are visiting the city during this time of the year make sure to check the agenda of shows.
How to get to the Iveagh Gardens: the park gets closed every day at 6:00 pm, and opens at 8:00 am from Monday to Saturday, and at 10:00 am on Sundays. It has three different entrances, but the main (and most easy to find) is at Clonmel Street, Dublin 2.
The People’s Park in Dún Laoghaire
This small park is located very close to Dún Laoghaire’s harbor, overlooking the coastline. It’s a perfect place to go if you want to escape the buzziness of the neighborhood and have some chill time in the sun. It’s also a good space to have an outdoor lunch, you can buy something to eat from one of the many shops around that area. On weekends you will also find a street market in the gardens, with art and locally produced ingredients being sold.
How to get to The People’s Park: From Dublin City Center, you can get a Dart Train from Connolly or Tara Station, on the Southbound platform to Bray, getting off the train at the
Sandycove Station. The address of the park is Park Rd, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin.
St Anne’s Park
The charming St Anne’s Park is a vast green area on the north side of Dublin, spreading around 240 acres and with different attractions to be explored. One of the most amazing parts of the park is the Chinese Garden, where you will be transported to a different atmosphere with the traditional Chinese architecture and landscape. The area was originally private and belonged to the famous Guinness Family, being late opened to the public and administered by Dublin’s City Council. Every Saturday it also hosts a Farmers Market, with many local producers selling delicious food and fresh ingredients.
How to get to St Anne’s Park: The Dublin bus 130 is the best option to go to the park if you are staying in the city center, the ride crosses all of the Clontarf Coastline, giving you some amazing views of Dublin’s Bay.
Bushy Park
Located on the south side of Dublin city, Bushy Park has a big green area to be explored and a peaceful atmosphere, extending for more than 20 hectares and surrounded by woodland. You can go there to take one of the many walks throughout the forest, have a picnic alongside the coast of the River Dooder, or play some sports in one of the fields (open to the public). It’s perfect to make yourself forget for a while that you are in a big city like Dublin, but close enough to be back to the pubs by the end of the day!
How to get to Bushy Park: the gardens are located in the area of Terenure, Dublin 6. The best way to go there from the city center is by taking the Dublin Bus 15 at College Green. The park is open 24 hours a day, except from September to November when it closes every day at dusk due to deer procreation season.
Killiney Hill Park
This beautiful Park is perfect not only for its vast green area, full of trees and lawns but also for the amazing views of Dublin's Bay and The Wicklow Mountains. Make sure to choose a sunny day to go visit this place since eyesight can be hampered on cloudy days. You can also take a stroll to go check the higher part of the park, where an old obelisk is located. We have more details about this and other pretty hikes in our post “7 hikes to do in Dublin and surroundings”.
How to get to Killiney Hill Park: The park is located very close to the Dalkey Dart Station - a 12-minute walk. A southbound dart train from Conolly Station is the fastest way to get there. The best time to visit the park is around the sunset since the place has amazing views of Dublin from the top.
Merrion Square Garden
Merrion Square is a go-to when looking for some piece in Dublin City Center, located very close to the famous Trinity College, this charming park has a lot of space to lay on the grass and enjoy a sunny day in the city. During the week you will find many locals having lunch on the gardens, or sucking up some sunshine after leaving work. Make sure to also check the memorial to the famous Irish author Oscar Wild at the park.
How to get to Merrion Square Garden: If you are staying in the city center during your visit to Dublin it is pretty easy to get to the park. Just follow Nassau Street, skirting Trinity College and walking always towards the south, and you will quickly arrive at Merrion Square.
St Stephen’s Green Park
This is the most famous park in Dublin, and definitely one of the prettiest ones. Different from other places we mentioned in this list, St Stephen's Green has always more people around and an amazing buzz. When visiting the city, this adorable garden should be on the top of your bucket list. Grab some snacks from one of the shops around the park and enjoy a little picnic in the park’s lawns while watching the swans swimming. Just be mindful of the time, since the park closes every day at dusk.
How to get to St Stephen’s Green: The park is located at the end of the famous Grafton Street, you can walk from the city center to there in no longer than 20 minutes if you are around the Liffey River area. Watch out for the beautiful arc where the main entrance of the park is located.
Now you have a complete guide to the best parks to visit in Dublin this summer, all suitable to visit with friends, family, or even by yourself. Have fun :)
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