Albert College Park (), also known as Hampstead Park, is a public park owned by Dublin City Council 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 f ...

(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 Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

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 (pétanque) courts and a cricket crease. A 3.5 km

Slí na Sláinte ''Slí na Sláinte'' (; meaning "Path of health"), abbreviated SnaS, is an initiative developed by the Irish Heart Foundation, with the aim to encourage and increase the number of people walking in the Republic of Ireland. It provides an easy ac ...

exercise trail route links the park and the DCU main campus. The park is also a venue for junior parkrun. There is also a children's

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

and a "Native Tree Trail".

References

{{Dublin Parks Parks in Dublin (city)