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The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland

The National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin is a brilliant place to visit. It is free to enter the gardens and is a great place to go for a walk.

The gardens were founded in 1795 by the Dublin Society (later the Royal Dublin Society) and are today in State ownership through the Office of Public Works. They hold 20,000 living plants and many millions of dried plant specimens. There are several architecturally notable greenhouses (from wiki).

The gardens have a cafe and restaurant on site and plenty to see. Here are some photos from a recent trip.

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By the way, it is right next to the Glasnevin Cemetery so you could always combine the two for a days visit!

There is a carpark on site but it can get busy at peak times. Location below.

 

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Bushy Park, Dublin

Bushy Park is a large park in Terenure, Dublin that stretches to the borders of Rathfarnham and Templeogue. The wooded area to the south of the park is particularly beautiful with the River Dodder running alongside it. The park is a great place to take a walk and has a children’s playground and a duck pond.

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Merrion Square

Merrion Square is a great green space in the centre of the city. The Georgian square is surrounded on three sides by Georgian redbrick houses along with the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery of Ireland (both are free to enter).

It contains the National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in the Service of the State. There are also some sculptures such as the Joker’s Chair in memory Dermot Morgan.

There is also a playground in the square and every Sunday the Open-Air Art Gallery is held on the external railings of the square (www.merrionart.com).

Some photos below. Check it out for yourself some day.

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Cabinteely Park

This is another great park to enjoy in Dublin. Cabinteely Park has great facilities. There is a decent sized car park, playground, coffee shop and plenty of space for walks. The park is close to Cornelscourt off the N11 or if you take exit 15 on the M50.

Cabinteely Park Car Park https://maps.google.com/?cid=9240937456546682405&hl=en&gl=ie

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River Dodder Walk: Morton’s to Knocklyon

The river Dodder is 26km long and passes Dublin suburbs of Tallaght and then Firhouse, travels through Rathfarnham, Templeogue, Rathgar, Milltown, Clonskeagh, Donnybrook, and Ballsbridge, and enters the Liffey near Ringsend, along with the Grand Canal, at Grand Canal Dock.

As it goes through these area, there are a range of walkways and green areas to enjoy.

This post focuses on a short but very enjoyable 2km walk from Mortons in Firhouse to Knocklyon. The track is in good condition and is suitable for buggies.

dodder - Mortons to Knocklyon Rd

To the west of this section, the walkway also feeds into the River Dodder Linear Park.

While already an enjoyable place to walk through, this area has huge potential and many groups like Dodder Action and Knocklyon Network are pushing to get the local councils to invest is this great amenity to maximise its potential for the local communities.

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Corkagh Park

Corkagh Park, near Clondalkin is another great park to visit in Dublin with a wide range of facilities. Along with the great open green areas and woodlands, the park has a free pet farm, playground, fairy wood, rose garden and a nice pond and fishing facilities.

The main car park is just off the Kingswood exit on the N7 and parking is free. The small coffee shop is located near the fishing facilities near the pond.

Check out some photos of the park below from a sunny March day.

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Marlay Park

Marlay Park is a 121 hectares (300 acres) suburban public park located in Rathfarnham in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Lying about nine kilometers (5.5 miles) from Dublin city center, the parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks. Marlay Park is the official starting point of the 132 km Wicklow Way a long-distance walking trail, that begins at the car park adjacent to Marlay House. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlay_Park).

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Along with the great walks, there are plenty of facilities and activities in the park such as:

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The Phoenix Park

The Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 11 km perimeter wall encloses 707 hectares (1,750 acres)it is also one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces within any European capital city (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Park).

The park provides the public with a variety of walks and loops around this amazing green area. The park is home to a herd of wild fallow deer which can often be seen, especially near the Papal Cross (which was erected in 1979 for the visit of Pope John Paul II).

Along with the availability of a large green area to walk, run and cycle the park also contains:

  • Áras an Uachtaráin
  • Visitors Center
  • Dublin Zoo
  • Magazine Fort
  • Headquarters of the Garda Síochána
  • Official residence of the United States Ambassador to Ireland

Parking is available on Chesterfield Avenue and a number of other locations in the park. 

For more information go to http://www.phoenixpark.ie/

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