Albert College Park (), also known as Hampstead Park, is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

owned by

Dublin City Council Dublin City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Dublin in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the council was ...

and managed by the council's Parks and Landscape Services division. It is located in northern

Glasnevin Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home t ...

, in the mid-northern suburbs of Dublin.

Location and access

The park is located on Ballymun Road in northern

, next to the main campus of

Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin'' in 1975, it enrolled its ...

(DCU), and has been called an "oasis" in the area. It is bordered to the north and east by DCU, by Hampstead Private Hospital and the Elmhurst convalescent home to the southeast, Hampstead Avenue to the south, and Ballymun Road to the west.

Cuilín House

In the middle of Albert College Park is Cuilín House. This was the original building, used from 1838 by ''Glasnevin Model Farm'' (sometimes called ''The Glasnevin Institute'') prior to its being renamed Albert College, and the development in 1851 of the larger, ''Albert College Building''. Now part of DCU, it was used into the twentieth century as a residence for professors of the college. A listed building, owned by Dublin City Council, it was used by community groups for a while, however it fell into disuse and was boarded up. Sports changing rooms were developed on the site adjacent to the house. In 2021, Dublin City Council installed public toilets and cafes in several parks around Dublin, including in Albert College Park. The toilets are located in the Tram Café, which opened in 2021 in the previously disused courtyard of Cuilin House.

Sporting facilities and walks

The National Tennis Centre is based in the park. Established in 2003, with additional courts added in 2005 and 2008, the National Tennis Centre was developed replacing existing tarmac courts. There are Gaelic football and soccer pitches, used by a variety of clubs, such as Na Fianna, Glasnevin Soccer Club, Stella Maris and

Bohemian F.C. Bohemian Football Club ( ga, an Cumann Peile Bóihéamach), more commonly referred to as Bohemians or Bohs, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, and are the ...

youth teams. There are

Boules ''Boules'' () is a collective name for a wide range of games similar to bowls and bocce (In French: jeu or jeux, in Croatian: boćanje and in Italian: gioco or giochi) in which the objective is to throw or roll heavy balls (called in France, ...

(pétanque) courts and a cricket crease. A 3.5 km Slí na Sláinte exercise trail route links the park and the DCU main campus. The park is also a venue for junior

parkrun Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of events for walkers, runners and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across six continents. Junior Parkrun (stylised as junior parkrun) ...

. There is also a children's playground and a "Native Tree Trail".

References

{{Dublin Parks Parks in Dublin (city)