COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

MOTION NO.8

MOTION: Councillor J. Lahart

"That this Committee agrees that Rathfarnham Castle Park is totally under-utilised and opens a discussion on how best to take advantage of this excellent asset."

REPORT:

Rathfarnham Castle Park provides an attractive landscape setting for Rathfarnham Castle, a National Monument and Protected Structure. The Park extends to just over 7 hectares (17.5 acres) and is maintained by South Dublin County Council. Amenities in the park include open lawns, pedestrian path system, woodland walks, herbaceous border, ornamental pond and watercourse, a very succesful and popular childrens playground and most recently, the development of an ornamental garden with water feature - the Séan Keating Garden. The park also includes a small works depot from which the park and surrounding areas are maintained.  

Rathfarnham Castle is maintained and operated by the Office of Public Works as a visitor attraction. The two authorities work closely together and have invested considerable resources in recent years in the further development of both the castle and the park resulting in increased visitor numbers. The park is considered to be well used and valued by both the local community and as well as by communities further afield.

The Office of Public Works commenced an upgrade of the Castle itself in 2014 and when completed this upgrade will provide a new Café/Restaurant and enhanced visitor facilities that will also complement the park.

The Council has been working on the Village Initiative Scheme and the plans for Rathfarnham Village are now on display as part of the Part 8 Public Consultation process.  These plans and the subsequent work will have a positive impact on park and enhance it as a visitor attraction.

In addition, the Council recently engaged a Tourism Consultancy to prepare a South Dublin Tourism Strategy and Rathfarnham Castle and Park are included in this review. The outurn of this review will inform the direction of further investment in the park and castle as a significant tourist and visitor attraction in the county.