Parks in Dublin: From Nearby Green Space to City Walks

Choose a Dublin park by the kind of outing you want: a nearby local walk, time beside the River Tolka, or a longer visit with gardens and visitor facilities. Ellenfield Park gives you a local green space in Whitehall, Griffith Park sits in the Glasnevin/Drumcondra area, and Phoenix Park has several distinct places to combine in one visit.

If you’re planning a short break outdoors, Ellenfield Park has sports facilities, a playground and an outdoor gym. For a riverside walk, Griffith Park is the relevant choice. Plan 3–4 hours for Phoenix Park.

Ellenfield Park is a local green space in Whitehall, Dublin 9, with sports facilities and a playground.

Dublin City Council identifies soccer and GAA pitches, a 7-a-side all-weather pitch, boules, tennis courts, an outdoor gym and a playground at Ellenfield Park. The council also identifies it as wheelchair accessible, with changing facilities. For more on this local green space, read what to know about Ellenfield Park.

Opening hours change by month. The park opens at 10:00 throughout the year, with closing times ranging from 17:00 in January and December to 22:00 in June and July.

In March and October, the hours differ before and after the clock changes. At parks with many gates, some gates may begin closing half an hour before the stated closing time.

Griffith Park is in Dublin 9’s Glasnevin/Drumcondra area and has a playground. Its riverside setting makes it a different kind of outing from Ellenfield Park’s sports facilities.

Plan this stop around a walk beside the River Tolka. Dublin City Council includes a playground at Griffith Park. For details focused on the river walk, see what a walk along the River Tolka involves.

Phoenix Park suits a longer outing, with free entry, round-the-clock access and a visitor centre, gardens and playgrounds. The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round; the Parkgate Street and Castleknock main gates are open 24 hours.

The Visitor Centre has a free self-guided exhibition about the park’s history and wildlife. The nearby Victorian Walled Garden covers two and a half acres, is free to enter and is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00.

The People’s Flower Gardens cover 22 acres and are open from 8:00 until dusk, with closing times varying through the year. They were laid out and enclosed in 1864.

The playgrounds at the Visitor Centre and the People’s Gardens are described as universal-access playgrounds. They are open from 9:30 until one hour before sunset all year, weather permitting. Phoenix Park has a cycle-trail network of 14 km, with Phoenix Park Bikes just inside the Parkgate Street main gate.

The Visitor Centre is open 9:30–18:00, with last admission 45 minutes before closing. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays from January to the end of April. The centre has designated car-parking spaces, wheelchair access, universal-access toilets, a lift and reception storage for buggies or prams.

Check current operating details before setting out, particularly for seasonal opening hours, gates and facilities. Phoenix Park’s side gates are generally open from approximately 7:00 to approximately 22:45, subject to changes in current road and gate notices.

Its car parks close one hour before dark, except the Upper Glen Road and Knockmaroon Gate car parks, which are open 24 hours.

Keep clear of Phoenix Park’s wild fallow deer: park management advises visitors not to feed or approach them. Dog rules vary by area; dogs are prohibited in some places and must be on a lead in others.

Restricted-breed dogs and crosses must be muzzled and kept on a strong chain or leash no longer than 2 metres, handled by someone over 16 who can control the dog.

Before you go, check the official site before you go: use Dublin City Council’s information for Ellenfield Park and the Phoenix Park operator’s notices for park access and facilities.

Is Phoenix Park free to enter?

Yes. Entry to Phoenix Park and its self-guided Visitor Centre exhibition is free.

How long should you allow for Phoenix Park?

Allow 3–4 hours for an average visit.

Does Griffith Park have a playground?

Yes. Griffith Park has a playground.