Corkagh Park - A Stunning Hidden Gem In West Dublin

Weekend Ireland's favourite park in Dublin

We all know the larger, more popular parks in Dublin like the Phoenix Park and Marlay Park, but there are so many smaller parks scattered around Dublin that may be smaller in comparison but are just as beautiful. Corkagh Park is one of them. This park is number one on my list because of all the amazing amenities it has.

Located in Dublin suburb Clondalkin, it was originally named Corkagh Demesne before Dublin City Council purchased it in 1983. Hidden within St. Johns housing estate, its not the easiest park to find if you're not familiar with the area, but Google Maps is a surefire way to get you there. On a sunny weekend it's a fantastic place to spend time and have fun with the family, because there are so many things to do! See the large list of amenities below.

List of Amenities

Barbecue and Picnic areas:

These areas tend to get busy on sunny Saturday evenings where families gather come out to enjoy the sun, fresh air and to make a day of it.

Playground:

This playground the playground to rule all playgrounds! Corkagh Park has a massive playground with tons of space for kids to run around, climb, slide, jump, swing to their heart's content. With a massive rope pyramid in the middle and surrounded by grass verges you can soak up the sun and let the kids have a great time.

Baseball:

The National Baseball Facility or as the players like to call it, “The field of Dreams” is situated at the back of the park where the Baseball Ireland league is play regularly. You can pull up a fold up chair, sit on the hill behind it and enjoy this lesser played Irish sport.

Fishing Lake:

Just around the corner from the baseball fields, you can find the stunning fishing lakes where people regularly spend their weekends waiting to see the bobble on their float, watching some of Corkagh Parks beautiful swans float past, guarding their cute new hatchling's. If you get really lucky, you might see one of the majestic Swans fly!

Doggie Park

Attention dog lovers, Corkagh Park has a fenced off dog park or as my daughter calls it, the puppy playground. Anyone can bring their dog(s), take them off the leash and let them run around with lots of other dogs to play with. You can just sit back, relax and watch your K9 companion have the time of their life! Please note: Large dogs are required to have a dog muscle on if being let off the leash due to their size and strength.

The Rose Garden

There is a beautiful rose garden right across from the Pet Farm in Corkagh. This is a really nice addition to the already stunning tree and plant life in the park. You can roam around the garden in less than a minute but if you want to sit there and take in all the colours nature has to offer, there are benches when you can do so.

More Fun for the Kids

The Fair Forest

For smaller kids there is a Fairy walk, where fairy doors and wish trees almost become a treasure hunt for kids to explore. This is a sure way to create some excitement for the little ones, when they spot a fairy's home or maybe even a real fairy…

Petting Farm

There is also a Petting Farm which is home to Owls, a Pig (that my daughter christened sausages), Chickens, Goats and two beautiful Shetland Ponies, along with two very loud and entertaining peacocks! They also have bird cages with a variety of birds, general farm animals on a Sunday like goats and lambs for the kids to pet and sometimes some noisy donkeys across the field. The arrangement of animals varies depending on whether you are there during the week on at the weekend.

Fitness Fanatics

Cycling Track

Corkagh Park has a really cook Cycling Track that anyone can use and its free too! Everything is free in Corkagh bar the fishing and ice-cream of course. The Cycling Track is located up to the top left of the park from the main park entrance near the Doggie Park.

ParkRun

You can join the hundreds of people who show up each Saturday morning for the park run where you can walk, jog, run or wog (walk/jog). You can find more info on the run here

During summer months you can also find free yoga and boot camp sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 18.30pm just to the left of the main entrance. Up to 100 people attend these classes.

How do I get there?

From Dublin City centre you can take the 69 or the 13 bus, both will leave you very close to the entrance. If there is anything you cannot find, just ask someone passing by as they will be happy to direct you.

When you're finished, you can make your way to the beautiful village in Clondalkin (10 to 15 minute walk) to grab some food or drinks. There are multiple cafes, restaurants and bars within the village so you are sure to find something to tickle your taste buds.

On a sunny day you will always catch the ice-cream man at the main car park entrance waiting to help cool you down. So if you're looking to spend a lovely day out with your family or friends that you are sure to enjoy, take a trip out to Corkagh Park, Clondalkin this weekend!