Bushy Park

Part of an extensive open space network along the Dodder, Bushy Park extends to 20.5 hectares.  The park has lovely woodland walks, ornamental ponds with plenty of hungry ducks and swans, the Dodder Walk, lots of places for picnics and a nice playground.  There is often an ice-cream van at the Rathdown Avenue entrance by the tennis courts and there is a kiosk at this entrance too, but I am not sure when it is open.

The park caters for a variety of sports, including tennis, soccer, GAA, petanque, running and skateboarding.   You can play tennis for an hourly fee.  Parks Tennis runs a Tennis Summer Camp in Bushy Park for children aged 5 plus every year.  Hourly lessons are given every day for the month of July (costs €40).  Dublin City’s first public skatepark was opened in 2006 in Bushy Park. It consists of a concrete bowl surrounded with typical street elements. The park is open to skateboarders, in-line skaters and B.M.X. bikes.  Bushy Park also caters for pétanque - the Park Pétanque Club is for enthusiasts of any age and playing standard. New family and junior members are encouraged and can come along to the terrain on any playing day.  If your little ones like soccer, Bushy Park has plenty to offer.  It is home to Rangers A.F.C, which is one of south Dublin’s oldest established soccer clubs catering for boys and girls.  Terenure Football Club also runs in Bushy Park and has Schoolboy Teams, Schoolgirls Teams, a development academy for children aged 4-6 and an eFlow FAI Summer Soccer camp for children aged 6-14 which runs from July 1st - July 5th.  As far as I can work out, there are three different GAA clubs operating in Bushy Park including Kevins, Templeogue Synge Street GFC, Templeogue Synge Street GFC Ladies and the Ranelagh Gaels.  For adults looking to get fit, you may be interested in the fitness programme Fit Squad and Bootcamp Ireland run in Bushy Park. 

If you fancy a bit of nature appreciation, Bushy Park has a Native Tree Trail which we plan to have a go at this summer.  It will help introduce your mini munchkins to a selection of Ireland's Native Trees. There are 15 native tree signposts in Bushy Park. To find them you can navigate your way around the park using The Native Tree Trail Booklet, which can be downloaded for free.