Marlay Park

Marlay Park, is an extensive 247-acre historic demesne which lies at the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. The demesne contains many important historic features, including a restored Georgian House, a coffee shop in the former gardener’s house, courtyards and regency walled gardens.  A number of small craft workshops are located in the courtyard adjacent to Marlay House.

Marlay Demesne caters for various sporting activities, including walking, football, soccer, GAA, tennis, par-3 golf (which has an adventure golf course for the family) , cricket, orienteering and running. 

The demesne also includes two great children’s play facilities. The larger one is a really fantastic playground with lots of things to do and caters for all age groups  and the other smaller one (near the dog park) is a lovely little wooden playground more suitable to toddlers. 

Little train lovers will appreciate the fabulous miniature railway which operates on Saturday afternoons (weather permitting) from 2.30pm to 5.00pm from May to September and is operated by The Dublin Society of Model & Experimental Engineers Ltd (DSMEE). The Miniature Railway carries children for free around a track in the centre of the park (behind the bell tower).

The demesne hosts a range of events throughout the year.  There is a lovely farmer’s market every Saturday and Sunday.  Marlay Park is also host to outdoor concerts during the summer months e.g. Longitude Music Festival (19^th-21^st July). 

As part of the “Exploring Nature DLR Biodiversity Events” programme, there are a number of interesting events on in Marlay Park over the summer including:

• ·         Sat 8^th June: Exploring the Ecology of Marlay Park where you go for a nature walk and learn about its ecology.
• ·         Sunday 18^th August: Bushcraft Skills event where you learn how to make woodland tools and rope using natural materials found around the park. 
• ·         Friday 30^th August: An Evening Bat Walk where you go for a walk around the park to observe bats flying and feeding in the area.