Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
A rediscovered medieval gem and its demesne
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
A rediscovered medieval gem and its demesne
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Ashtown Castle is a tower house that probably dates from the seventeenth century, but may be as early as the fifteenth.
For years it was completely hidden within the walls of a Georgian mansion once occupied by the under-secretary for Ireland. When that house was demolished in the late 1980s, the castle was rediscovered. It has since been fully restored and now welcomes visitors.
Surrounding the castle is Ashtown Demesne, which boasts a plethora of attractions. Chief among them is the walled kitchen garden, which has being beautifully restored to its original Victorian layout. There are also woodland walks, picnic areas and a universal-access playground.
The Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, adjoining the castle, contains an entertaining exhibition on the park’s history from 3500 BC right through to the present day. There is a charming restaurant in the visitor-centre grounds.
Gallery
Opening Times
Open throughout the year
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre is closed on Monday and Tuesday from January to Mid- April.
09:30- 18:00
Last admission 17:00
Average Length of Visit: 1 hour.
The Victorian Kitchen Walled Garden, beside the Visitor Centre, is open to the public daily from 10:00 to 16:00
Notice
Please note that the visitor centre may be closed to the public at short notice. We are sorry for any inconvenience that may be caused.
Getting Here
4km from centre of Dublin in the Phoenix Park, signposted from the Phoenix Monument.
Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions
Facilities
- Art
- Audio Description
- Audio Visual Show
- AV presentation
- Baby Changing
- Bike Trail
- Bookshop
- Brochure
- Café
- Car park
- Changing exhibitions
- Coach parking
- Exhibition
- Family Toilet
- Guided tours
- Interpretive exhibit
- Lift
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Wheelchair Accessible Toilet
Restrictions
- Appropriate footwear
- Dogs on lead
Nearby sites to visit
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Áras an Uachtaráin
A taste of presidential elegance
Approx. 1.0 km from Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Phoenix Park and Biodiversity Centre
Where Dublin goes to breathe
Approx. 1.1 km from Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Grangegorman Military Cemetery
Remembering the fallen of the British Empire
Approx. 1.8 km from Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
You might also like
The John F. Kennedy Arboretum
A garden of presidential proportions.
Fota Arboretum and Gardens
Explore an island oasis of rare and exotic flora
Ilnacullin – Garinish Island
An island garden of rare beauty
Altamont Gardens
Old-world gardens with an atmosphere all of their own
Doneraile Court and Estate
North Cork’s ‘real-life Downton Abbey’
Farmleigh House and Gardens
An eclectic Edwardian mansion and the Irish state guesthouse
Resources
Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Phoenix Park Visitor Centre – Ashtown Castle. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to Phoenix Park Visitor Centre – Ashtown Castle.
Download the Social Guide