Marlay Park’s Heritage: A Stroll through Dublin’s Playground

(12 reviews)

Dublin audio tour: Marlay Park’s Heritage: A Stroll through Dublin’s Playground

This is a 3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Dublin

Ireland

$4.99

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About the Tour

Dublin’s beautiful Marlay Park is more than just a beloved green space. It’s where history, nature, and art meet. On this walking tour, you’ll discover the fascinating evolution of this aristocratic estate – from medieval farmland to public park – which spans over 500 years of Irish history.

The tour begins at the Wicklow Way starting point, where you’ll hear some of the fascinating stories hidden within this 120-hectare urban oasis at the Dublin Mountains’ foothills. You’ll walk the historic grounds once owned by Barnaby Fitzpatrick, hearing the intriguing tale of how he went from Irish king to English baron in the 1500s when this land was first confiscated from Cistercian monks.

You’ll wander through ancient woodlands and past curious art installations, and see beautifully restored walled gardens. Here, you’ll meet the colourful residents of the aviary, including peacocks that wander freely throughout the gardens, before ending the tour at the impressive Georgian Marlay House.

On this Dublin walking tour, you’ll also have a chance to:

Examine fascinating art installations, including Dreaming About the Celestial Mountain, a concrete face that emerges from the hillside, with spectacular views of Dublin
Discover how the wealthy La Touche banking family transformed the landscape with ornamental lakes and walking paths designed to mimic landscape paintings
Explore the Craft Courtyard, once home to champion racehorses, now filled with artisans, jewellers, and bakers
Learn about the park’s connection to major historical events like the 1916 Easter Rising, the armed insurrection against British rule that changed Ireland’s path to independence
Spot the distinctive “ha-ha“ ditch, an ingenious landscape feature designed to keep livestock away while preserving views
Visit the regency walled gardens with their ornamental pool and carefully restored Georgian foliage

By the end of this 75-minute tour with a local who grew up exploring these grounds, you’ll understand why generations of visitors have treasured this green sanctuary.

Tour Producer

John Twomey

2 tours

Hi, I’m John, a Dublin native with a love for travel and storytelling through audio and music.
Having spent much of my adult life outside of Ireland, I’ve returned home with fresh eyes (and ears) and a newfound appreciation for Ireland’s history, culture, and hidden gems.

I'm an audio engineer, producer and editor by profession, which pairs with my passion for travel, local history, music and immersive storytelling through sound. My tours are born of my own curiosity and interests, exploring areas with a fresh perspective, and what’s better than sharing that passion with fellow explorers?

So let me take you on a sonic journey through Ireland's past and present, one sonorous story at a time.

Produced by Well Played Audio, specialising in spoken word audio content, audio tours, podcasts, audiobooks, whatever you need to bring your stories to life.

Visit us a wellplayed.ie or get in touch at [email protected]

Preview Location

Location 16

Follow their footsteps: The La Touche Legacy

Keep following the woodland path.

I hope you're enjoying the walk. These paths through the woods are some of my favourite.

We owe much of the park's layout and appearance to the La Touche's.

While the Taylor's before them were prominent and wealthy, the La Touches we... Keep following the woodland path.

I hope you're enjoying the walk. These paths through the woods are some of my favourite.

We owe much of the park's layout and appearance to the La Touche's.

While the Taylor's before them were prominent and wealthy, the La Touches were very prominent, and very wealthy. The ponds, waterfalls, gardens and walking paths, were all built with the generational wealth of the La Touche Banking Dynasty. They were known for their lavish hospitality and extravagant gatherings, ablaze with bonfires and illuminations. The estate even had it's own private theatre.

David La Touche was of Huguenot descent, his grandfather having fled France in 1685 to escape the persecution of protestants under Louis the XIV. The family became prominent moneylenders to the French in Ireland, expanding rapidly and becoming the La Touche Bank. They remained deeply religious, attending French Huguenot services in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin City, a tradition that endures once a year to this day.

The bank flourished through the generations, with most of the landed gentry in Ireland becoming customers. As their wealth grew, so did their influence socially and politically.

David was the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Of The Freemasons Of Ireland in 1767, and La Touche's father was a founder of the Kildare Street Club, a private members club now on Stephen's Green, in which the aristocracy mingled.

David used his significant wealth and influence to secure several seats in the Irish Parliament, influencing policy to his and his clients benefit.
He drew up the bill to establish the national Bank of Ireland, to which he was unanimously elected its' first governor in 1783.

Such was his wealth, he loaned money to the government when needed. He provided financial support in quelling the rebellion of 1798 and supported the Act of Union in 1801, dissolving the Irish Parliament and assimilating The Kingdom of Ireland into the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Between Barnaby and La Touche we've seen betrayal, treason, murder, corruption and more.

There's other, more mischievous occupants of the park too. We might see them ahead.

Keep going. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Marlay Park, Grange Road Car Park
Marlay Park
Marlay Demesne
Wicklow Way Startpoint
Marlay Concerts Field
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland
Marlay Park, Machinery Yard
Dublin Society Of Model And Experimental Engineers
Marlay Putting Green
Marlay Park Playground
Marlay parkrun
Dreaming about the Celestial Mountain Art Installation
The Wicklow Way Café
Old Little Bridge
Ballinteer St Johns GAA
Boland's Coffee Shop
Marlay Craft Courtyard
Miller Cake Studio
Marlay Park Walled Garden
Deborah Donnelly
Marlay House
Wonderlights Marlay Park
Marlay Park, College Road Car Park

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Marlay Park House, Grange Rd, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, Ireland
Total distance

5km
Final location
Grange Rd, Haroldsgrange, Co. Dublin, D16 W5F7, Ireland
Distance back to start location

91.57m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins in the southern corner of the Grange Road car park, near the manor house by the wall marking the start of the Wicklow Way, a stone wall with a gap built into it.

Marlay Park is adjacent to the M50. Take exit 12 (3.5km to Park entrance on R113) or exit 13 (2km to Park entrance on R113).

Bus routes 16, S8 and 74 stop near park entrances on the Grange Road.
Route 14 serves the far end of Stonemason's Way a 10 minute walk from the park.

EV charging and bicycle parking is available.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There's a number of cafés in the park, serving hot and cold drinks and some snacks:

Miller's Cake Studio in the Craft Courtyard
Boland's Cafe in the Old Gardener's house
The Wicklow Way Café in the Marlay Golf Course Club House
Treo Coffee Co by the Putting Green

Public restrooms are available by the Grange Road car park, in the craft courtyard and in the farmyard.

Best time of day

Marlay Park Opening Hours

November - January: 9.00am - 5.00pm
February - March: 9.00am - 6.00pm
April: 9.00am - 9.00pm
May - August: 9.00am - 10.00pm
September: 9:00am - 8:00pm
October: 9.00am - 6.00pm

Late June and early July are concert season in Marlay Park. Access to certain parts of the park may be restricted.
On event days public access will cease at 4pm, and parking will be limited or unavailable from noon.
Public transport routes may also be affected.

Precautions

Weather conditions can be changeable. Waterproof gear and good walking shoes are recommended.
Small sections of the tour are on unsealed and often muddy paths, appropriate clothing is advised.

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